Found
by Zacatecas
Summary: They were forgotten, left behind in the midst of a war they were meant to fight, by an event they could not foresee. Thousands of years pass and one by one they've begun revealing themselves to the humans of Remnant. Their very presence answers the age old question; are we alone in the universe. Though, one has to ask; why do they have gems embedded on their bodies?
1. 5500 years ago

The idea that there are those who believe the vastness of the universe is empty is a gross ignorance, and dangerous naïve way of thinking. Perhaps in your immediate area, or even in your solar system, your kind is the only ones to reach a certain tier of civilization. But to assume there are not others who have vastly advanced even beyond you is inviting a cloud of safety and security that is easily broken simply by the slightest shred of possibility that life outside your world exists. Though, the need to deny is not out of rejecting the logic, not entirely one could argue. No, the reason there is doubt is due to the lack of knowledge and the eerie uncertainty of what you might find. And there is indeed reason to fear.

For just over Remnant's sky, many in the outer rim of the kingdoms were treated to a meteor shower, chunks of rock burning up and eventually disintegrating upon entry. A colorful and joyous event to see, and for many, it was a rarity to have a serene distraction from the impending doom around that lingers around them on a daily basis. Though, in the small coastal village of Acre, a bright albeit small meteorite appeared to be staggering upon entry. It created a moment of confusion to the denizens for a few minutes, that is, until they heard a bone chilling crack echo in the distance, followed shortly by a deafening boom as the meteor was apparently so large that it had blown apart upon its entry. There was a moment of relief and jitter amongst those who witnessed such an event. To witness something like this would indeed bring many stories for the folks to share with travelers and amongst themselves for years to come. Though, as the town's folk shared jovial laughs all around, only one had kept her eye on the sky. A frown was etched in her expression as she watched the fragments of the space rock fall unto the sea. The fragments of the meteor were not descending how they should've.

"Sadiq." She nudged the man next to her, whom was sharing a joyous laugh with a fellow villager. The man peeked an eye to her, when she gestured to what she had been seeing, his eyes furrowed. He stood up rather quickly, catching the attention of others around him. As the eyes of the villagers gazed back to the phenomenon they had just witnessed; fear and confusion reseeded as they all took notice now; the fragments were not falling with the rest of the meteor into the ocean, they were spreading out, seemingly gliding in their descent. To the ever growing fear of many, one of the fragments broke off strangely, it appeared to curve completely; and it was aiming straight for their village. Mass panic broke out as the villagers were beginning to scurry and run towards the forest. And with each passing second, the fragment was glowing brighter, indicating the eventuality of impact. The man named Sadiq and the woman quickly scurried with their fellow villagers into the forest, stopping only when they saw many of their friends run out of the forest and back into the village.

From the forest, they heard growls, glowing red orbs peering from the abyss that the reality had set in; the panic from the village had drawn several unwanted guests to them. Those with training took up arms with whatever they could get their hands on, others huddled into a circle, hoping to find safety amongst their kin. And as the creatures emerged from the forest, blood dripping from their jaws and claws; hope was fading with each passing second. A giant beast of black and white had emerged from the thickets, resembling a wolf of sorts standing upright on its hind-legs, its hulking armor and streaks of red and amber on its plating gave way to assumption that this was the leader of its pack. Those around it were at its call, simply waiting for a bark of gesture to read as an attack signal. However, it would never come. Before the creature could continue its tread, a bright light gave away the arrival of the fragment, but much to the surprise of many, the fragment did not strike the village, but rather; it hit the alpha head on, destroying it and the few other wolves around it. The sudden impact caught the villagers and creatures off guard as the gusting winds from the crash blinded all.

As the dust began to settle, the villagers were able to see the force of impact from the fragment. It was ironic, there was no question of it, considering what caused them fear and brought to them what would've been certain death; ended up destroying the creature they feared by crashing atop it. Of course, as the dust cleared, a collection of gasps passed amongst the villagers as they were treated to the sight of a perfectly circular green orb, standing within the crater it created without so much as a scratch on it.

"Pa, what is that?" Came from a young child in Marcus' arms, her small hand clinging to his tunic as a collection of similar murmurs echoed amongst the huddled villagers. Without warning, a singular light poked from the orb, followed with was a vertical line that opened up rather quickly, startling the folks as they were greeted to what was apparently inside the orb. None saw what Marcus did, not at first glance; there, kneeling on the ground, was a figure cladded in pristine white armor that covered a good portion of its torso, sleekly protected his arms and legs, and a helmet that gave off the appearance of a the upper half of a shark head with a single gold ponytail protruding from the upper back of the helmet. Its face was covered by a visor, but its features were eerily similar to human in appearance.

The demonic wolves were unsure how to react, some growled, others appeared confused at this newcomers sudden arrival. One was brasher than its kin, pouncing unto the thing that killed its leader, only for it to stay hovering in the air, held back by a single armored hand grasping its throat. The creature flailed and growled at the uncanny strength this newcomer had, swinging wildly at it, only for the armored newcomer to instantly flaw his palm a certain way, snapping the beast's neck with ease. Those around flinched as their brethren's corpse was tossed aside, slowly disintegrating into nothing. They watched as the newcomer reached for a small marquise-shaped gem on his chest. A small flash of light illuminated from the gem as a handle materialized with the light. It gripped the sword, unsheathing it from what most would say was its chest. And without warning, the armored individual dove straight at a group of unprepared wolves, its sword completely materialized and already having decapitated a trio of dumbfounded dogs.

The rest soon took positions and charged at their enemy. As they did, his free arm was placed across his chest as the gem glowed brightly once more. A lozenge-shaped shield materialized, stopping the wolves in their tracks, and with strength not meant for something it size; easily backhanded the beasts away.

The villagers were in awe, more so with each passing second. This unknown, who they assumed was going to destroy their village, was now saving them from these unknown creatures. The youngins were in awe and delight. Never did they think to see such fighting in their little village, away from the big cities and unforgiving neighbors of bandits and raiders. It was truly an inspiring moment to see such a thing, almost like reading a book of a knight in shining armor come in to save the townsfolk from the creatures of darkness.

The adults, however, were wary. Whatever this was, yes it was helping, and they were indeed grateful, but there was a nudging question in the back of their heads; who or what is this? It fell from the sky, and it came to their aid at the moment the most needed it. To many, they saw this as divine aid; a warrior sent from on high to protect the believers of the Brothers. Though, a select few had other theories, and none were of the supernatural kind.

The sixth wolf to charge had done so with a high pounce, hoping to put enough wait unto its opponent so that another of its kind could strike while the armored unknown was occupied. However its plan was foiled when it felt its torso fly too farther away, and land just in time to see its severed waist and legs land beside its head just before disintegrating.

The rest followed suit. It was over in matter of minutes; the creatures stood no chance, it was clear to see. Though, the warrior remained eerily still, its head glanced around, taking note of the villagers that seemingly when his head turned to them. Of course, without giving them a second thought, his shield dematerialized and his sword was sheathed back into the gem on his chest. Once the blade was sheathed, the hilt disappeared, and the warrior placed two fingers against the side of his head.

"Pearl, report." A command, though also with a sliver of plea to it.

'_Seventy pods made it to the surface; forty three were lost in orbit. Dropships One, Eight, Nine, Twenty, and Twenty-nine were destroyed upon entry into the atmosphere. All hands are reported lost. The remaining dropships were able to enter atmosphere and are deploying their forces as we speak.'_

The unknown cursed through grit teeth as he received the status of his forces.

'_Infestation-heavy zones are being cleansed as we speak, reports hint at assistance from the organics; however, they also report that the organics are unaware of what the infestation is. It would seem they know as much about this as we do. I suppose there's a first for anything, even for organics.'_

The warrior glanced to the where the remains of his foes should've been; now only the essence of the dust they disintegrated into remained. "What is the status of the first wave?"

'_First wave; effective. The infection has been pushed back substantially; however, it would seem the affected areas range farther than what our scanners reported. The organics have a majority of their forces elsewhere, their settlements are entirely defenseless.'_

"How could those useless Peridots allow this to happen? Why didn't the scout bots report this sooner?" He growled into his headset.

'_I do not have an answer; however, the other teams are reporting successful cleansing operations on their sides. Whatever this inorganic infection is, their numbers are still relatively small, there is a chance we can quell and contain the spread of…'_ A prolonged silence followed. The warrior tapped his helmet, fearing it too was damaged from the crash.

The murmurs from the villagers peaked the warrior's attention only ever so. But upon his seeing them, their eyes were glued to the northern sky. Turning to where their attentions were, his head locked in place at the sight of two pillars beaming high into the sky. The sun had been rising; giving way to the light of day, however, the voice that followed next would instill a greater amount of fear.

'_Leader, our scanners are picking up anomalies across the board.'_

'_Radiaton flare! Lethal levels rising at our location. The organics are falling in droves, Leader, advise!'_

'_The ground is shaking all around, our spires are crumbling…the temple's structure won't hold ou-'_

'_Leader, a horde of the infestation has sprung from nowhere; we're pinned down, requesting immediate support!'_

Their voices echoed in his headset, countless of his troopers shouting out their separate situations as he took in all their information, trying to prepare a strategy amongst the unending pleas from his soldiers. This was not what their sapphire had predicted; their operation was a simple cleansing of the anomaly spreading farther as the seconds passed. If the invasion progressed any worse, the injectors were already on standby, all they required was a simple order. Just as he was going to demand silence, their shouting stopped, almost immediately. The warrior was confused, his head turned towards the sky, the last of the dropships had just entered the atmosphere, swarming through the sky in their perfect formations, but they made no noise. In fact, taking a moment to think it through; no wind had been blowing, the sea was eerily silent. The two pillars of light, one a brilliant white, the other a deep shade of violet fused for a short moment, then just as quickly, shrunk into nothing.

"Pearl?"

The voice that answered would forever haunt him. _'Moon….RUN!' _

A wave of white flooded the land, enveloping all in its grasp. The warrior felt the light, it dug into him, attempting to find and purge something, and yet failing to do so. Glancing towards the villagers, with widened eyes he watched them all follow the example of the infestation he had slain earlier; they became dust with the flowing wind. It was not long, a quick and possibly painless experience.

The warrior felt incapacitated by the wave of light, falling to his knees, he gazed weekly at his army, the ships in the air had seemingly lost power, descending rapidly unto the surface, the voices over the comms had become pure screeches of terror and static as the warrior attempted to get back on his feet. His ships had lost all control, the sounds of them crashing onto the planet were heart-wrenching, more so the ones that struck and burned across the landscape. However, as he gazed back at the sky, his eyes bared witness to two beams of light shooting into the sky, striking directly into the moon, shattering it. And with it, their last hope of ever returning home.

The warrior could only grasp towards the sky, reaching for something he could no never obtain again as symmetrical lines covered his shaking body. Within seconds he fell onto the dirt, exploding in a cloud of smoke before revealing only the oval gem on the ground, alone.

The sun had finally risen above the horizon, shining down upon the now silent world, marking the end of an era, and the dawning of a new age.

* * *

That was over fifty-five hundred years ago. (5500 years)

The world has changed since then, how could it not? For in the time since this other worldly force made its desperate attempt to fight back the creatures of darkness, there has not been a single mention of the old world, for few lived on to remember it. Strange enough, humanity resurfaced once more, igniting the flames of Remnant's newest chapter. With them, though, came another collection of beings; the faunus, similar in every way save for a few noticeable traits, and certain abilities originally pertaining to animals. Cities and kingdoms began to spring up once more, and had there been a chance, perhaps even a chance for them to advance to the point of being able to venture outside their world for a short time. However, with this new era came a hindrance that would stagnate the people of Remnant for years to come; the grimm. Soulless, mindless beasts, capable of neither pity nor mercy. Their only purpose, it seemed, was to wipe out all of humanity. And as the centuries passed, it became more and more apparent that their goal was slowly becoming a reality. Though, they could never seem to finish the job just yet.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, the ruins of the old world were either buried by the planet, demolished to make way for the new cities that would soon sprout, or they were forgotten in their entirety. Regardless of the reason, the new had already begun to make its mark, with humanity and faunus now fighting against one another in a seemingly endless struggle for dominance, stopping only when they were forced to face an enemy they shared; the grimm. The infestation, if given the ability to speak, would probably remember the old world. Though, there would be no fondness or nostalgia to go around. Centuries of conflict had shaped the world to the point that only four kingdoms withstood the test of time.

And what of the other worldly beings that came down at the end of the first age? It would've been easy to assume they had all perished with the Light brother's magic…though, to assume such things would also be an ignorant sense of security. For simply because one has not heard or seen of them, does not mean they have been swept under the annals of uncertainty and legend. There might be some existing, far from sight, and hidden deep away from the eyes of humanity. Their purpose for remaining obscure is their own, though, it does not mean there are not stories, passed down from generation to generation of sightings.

One such, a story once told as a means to keep children away from an unknown deep in the heart of the forests soon became a collection of inspiration.

The likes of which have been written off, waved at as nothing more than a story to tell around the table of a warrior wandering the forests surrounding Vale, hunting and eliminating the beings that bring fear to the smaller isolated settlements of the forest. Rumors and stories? Fairytales, you may call them. But within these tales lies a shred of truth. Regardless, it has not stopped generation after generation of hunters and huntresses to venture forth and seek out this wanderer. Though, none have ever seen the warrior long enough to so much as throw a greeting their way, only a small glimpse and the being returns to anonymity. However, for however long the glances were, the descriptions were always the same.

Sitting in his office, watching the students go about their day with ease and lack of care in the world, the headmaster of Beacon stands with his usual cocoa-filled mug, drinking its contents with ease. Or rather, it was the contents within the mug that gave him a momentary sense of ease.

For on his desk was a collection of reports from the hunters under his watch, all of which were reporting the same thing; their contracts for clearing grimm were all complete, but not by them. They all tell the same story, all of which was nothing more than a repeat of what he'd usually receive this time around. Being around as long as he has, there was a time the headmaster believed himself to be one of the oldest relics of the old era, to hear reports of a wandering warrior that slays grimm would garner a speck of interest. But to have heard the same stories and rumors for thousands of years, gave the ancient being a sense familiarity. For the longest time he had been hoping to find this mysterious stranger. Whoever this individual was; they were able to keep the grimm numbers in the south-eastern coast of Vale to a number that none had seen as of recently.

In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, many of his old alumni were once children inspired by the wandering warrior, smitten by his deeds and acts of bravery against the creatures of darkness. One in particular had even claimed she had seen the wanderer himself. Of course, she was not able to capture and transport the wanderer to Beacon. Much to the headmaster's dismay. However, one detail she listed of this particular individual, that caught the headmaster's attention; he didn't appear any older than her or her classmates. In fact, she even had gone on to state she could not guess as to what age he was given that his facial features, while appearing human at first glance, were actually much more different than she expected. Of course, that was solely due to the fact that she could barely make out anything with him mostly wearing a set of sleek armor, clean and proper, shining so brightly and such a standout she was amazed he hadn't been spotted more often.

Though, that was long ago, and that alumni has long since passed. But the stories have not ceased, and this wanderer, if proven to be real, would garner the interest of all of Remnant; particularly since he was a being that had been alive for centuries. That in itself brought with it wisdom and knowledge some had could only dream of.

The speaker atop his desk dinged, catching his attention before he could gaze towards the Emerald Forest.

'_Headmaster, the teams you've requested are here.'_

"Send them in."

On cue, the doors to his office opened, revealing six young huntresses, and a sole male hunter in training entering cautiously. These seven were, by far, the more prominent of the first years this time around. The first team, RWBY, an odd collection of students to be sure, but talented nonetheless. Their leader, a prodigy was at the helm of her team, standing proud, but also mostly meek at the sight of the headmaster. Beside them was team PRN, a rare three hunter team, standing just beside RWBY. The famous Pyrrha Nikos leads this small teams charge after their previous had been permanently held back due to injuries from a previous engagement. The girl had potential, alas; it seemed she was not ready for the tasks of being a huntress. Sending her home was a heart-wrenching ordeal, much so that there was legitimate reason to keep the student for logistical and tactical missions. However, her family was rather vocal with what was to be done, and the young Joana Arc was returned home to her family…in the southeastern coast of Vale.

A plethora of ideas had gone off in Ozpin's head, particularly how easy it would be to send this team off on an extended mission, while also lifting their spirits.

"Professor Ozpin, you wanted to see us?" The young scythe-wielder, Ruby Rose, asked meekly.

Ozpin allowed his facial features to ease slightly as he organized his scattered papers. "Indeed. Recently there have been reports of increasing grimm activity in the rural outskirts of outer Vale. The classifications are relatively common grimm with the occasional Alpha here and there. Multiple reports and request arrived from the settlements asking for assistance in regards to culling the grimm population. An area that has been estimated to be similar to or doubled the area of the Emerald Forest. A mission of this length would require a select few veteran hunters, and perhaps even a few of Beacon's finest to assist with the operation."

The bubbly red-head of PRN perked up significantly at this, she took a few feet forward, her eyes glistening with interest and glee. "So we're gonna smash some grimm?"

The other students appeared conflicted, and the headmaster did not blame them. This was their first mission since the incident with Joana, and a few weren't too keen on setting out on just yet. The new leader of PRN in particular was the least motivated. In actuality, she appeared more annoyed with the idea.

The headmaster was quick to lay that notion to rest, though a bit of him wish he hadn't. "No, Ms Valkyrie, that will not be necessary. Hunters have been dispatched, and have already sent in their reports; all grimm have been exterminated from the area." The girl's enthusiasm deflated rather quickly, and it gave way for curiosity to grow amongst his students. "The grimm were all cleared before the arrival of the hunters." Ozpin watched as the eyes of his students widened. "And as of yet, the hunters have not come up with any theories as to how these grimm were wiped out in less than a week. All they've reported back is what the locals have given them." Their eyes, it burned with interest, of course they would. Of group of trained individuals went in and cleared out such a large area of grimm in so little time, it was no wonder it caught the headmaster's attention.

Ozpin sat down calmly; he had reached into a thick folder within his desk, dropping it unto his desk. The loud thunk from the folder had a few of the students wince. "All of the locals reported the same thing…they've always been reporting the same thing; long before I became headmaster, and long before Vale was even a forethought." He had them hanging on his every word, particularly due to the lacking of information he had revealed. Thinking clearly on how to proceed, the headmaster glanced to RWBY's leader for this particular conversation. "Ms. Rose, tell me, what do you know of the knight of Diamont?"

She seemed taken aback by what she assumed was a random question, though, she was indeed in for a surprise.

"U-u-u-um, well, my dad used to tell me stories about how a knight in pure white amor wandered the forests of Vale, killing all grimm and protecting the settlements. They say he wields a sword that can cut through grimm like butter, his shield can deflect any amount of dust…" At that, her partner huffed, scoffing ever so subtly. "And nothing can pierce his armor. He moves as swiftly as the wind." It would seem the young huntress had unconsciously begun waving her arms around to emphasize her point. An endearing trait, that of which her fellow students seemed to agree on. And it would appear she motivated Ms. Valkyrie to do the same.

"He's as tall as an Alpha Ursa, stronger than a Goliath, and without a second thought he dives straight into a herd of grimm." She proclaimed with a sugary filled glee. It would seem the young teen was familiar with the tale as well, and if someone asked the headmaster; he would bet on the girl taking notes from the stories to incorporate with her fighting style.

"And he's been seen everywhere; from Atlas to Mistral, Vacuo to Vale. Even Menagerie has stories of their own of the wanderer." Ruby finished, her eyes lighting up with giddiness.

"But…" All eyes fell upon the heiress, who had her arms crossed, and a look of mild irritation on her face. "Those are all stories, fairytales people tell around a campfire. And the stories have been passed down from even before our grandparents were born." She stated, deflating the glee in the two girls in front of her.

Ozpin knew exactly what he was playing into, revealing this shred of information to these still young heroes in training. However, where the experienced hunters failed, perhaps these fresh minds could find something the others could not. So much was spent behind closed doors to locate this individual that many had begun to accept that he was simply that; a myth. But Ozpin knew better, and if there was even the slightest hope that the legends were true and this warrior could be swayed to fight by their side; humanity might just have a fighting chance. Assuming, of course, they could finally locate this individual, and if he was even real.

"Perhaps, but from all the accounts we've received from the townsfolk in the area they all say the same thing; it was the knight. Regardless, I am assigning teams RWBY and PRN to investigate. Your mission is simple; you will visit three different settlements that have not been questioned; you will scout the forest for a period of two months and will report back after the time period has concluded." He gently shoved a folder forward; causing Ruby and Pyrrha to walk forward sift through the file. "Knight or not, we must ascertain the cause of such a mass culling, and determine whether the individual/s are friendly, or foe. I think we can all agree, anyone, group of solo, that can exterminate such a volume of grimm is one that would benefit by putting their abilities to more productive use." The headmaster stated, leaning back into his chair as the team leaders continued glancing through the information.

Both Ruby and Pyrrha only needed a minute more before both stopped on a single page, one Ozpin intentionally slipped in. The two girls glanced first at the page, then to one another. They were already plotting something, of that the headmaster could guess without even keeping an eye on them now. Their eyes hardened before turning to their headmaster and nodding.

"We accept the mission, Professor Ozpin." Pyrrha affirmed, gaining a faint chuckle from the headmaster.

"I was not aware I was giving you a choice in the matter, but I appreciate your willingness to partake in the mission, Ms. Nikos." Ozpin rose from his desk, his eyes hardened as he was now about to send them off on a possible goose chase, but even then, this was a possibility he could not ignore.

"You will leave immediately, pack essentials and depart on the bullhead on helepad three. Keep in mind; this is purely an investigation mission. Canvass the specified areas, and do not wander off; most of the forest near Diamont has not been charted, and there is the very real possibility there are remnants of grimm still in the area. Keep your eyes and ears open, there is a chance you might catch something the veterans might've missed. And above all else; stay safe, all of you."

The seven students nodded once before heading out to prepare for their mission, all the while, their headmaster remained in his tower. His eyes fixed on the Emerald forest, wondering if this mission would bear any fruit. There was only one team before them that came remotely close, but they failed to bring in this warrior. So now, the headmaster could only sit and hope.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Diamont forest, near the peak of its larger mountains were the ruins of what appeared to be a temple. The pillars had long since crumbled, the area surrounding the temple had become treacherous, pitfalls and certain species of vegetation acted as a perfect defense to keep outsiders away. For within the center of the roofless temple, sat a single figure, starring up at the night sky. It has been countless nights that he has seen the shattered moon above him, eons have passed since he had awoken to a silent word, devoid of life.

This was the last place of solace for this figure; the only place he felt at ease, away from the loud creatures beyond the forest. Here, there was calmness, and serenity, nothing like the rest of the planet. Though, as he gazed upon the moon, and the countless stars above him, his mind wanders, as it always did. Questioning his purpose for being here, and wondering who and what he was.

No being had we he did; a stone embedded into his chest. And none have lived as long as he has, countless faces came and went, nothing ever stayed the same. Changing, everything was always changing, but not this place, not the temple. For some odd reason, he felt at ease here, it all felt familiar somehow. It was as if he belonged in this place. Though, it also saddened him to see his home deteriorate over the years. the pillars now much smaller, the trees and fern grew just enough to cover the bits of the temple closest to the forest. For a time, there was nothing but him, wandering around the empty world, fighting off these infestations as he searched for someone, anyone like him. Nothing. And yet, when he stood atop the damaged platform, gazing at the moon; eerily so, he felt as though there was someone gazing back.

Sitting atop a cracked platform, he continued gazing towards the stars, remembering only once having ever been caught by an organic. And what broke his stoic façade, if only for a moment; were her silver eyes. It was only ever for a short period of time, though, he would never openly deny it was one of the few times he enjoyed the company of an outsider. For almost twenty cycles he had not seen her again, to which, the feeling of loneliness had begun to seep in again.

The sudden sounds of howls in the distance caught his attention as he stood up, realizing his programmed duty, he prepared his tread in the direction of the infestation. He may not knot know, or remember why he was left here alone in this forsaken world, though, there remained one certainty among all this chaos; the infestation must be purged. Reaching into his chest, he draws his weapons once more, walking ever slowly to the only thing he could do now, the very thing he was created for; to fight. On the back of his armor, clear for all to see: a lozenge-shaped insignia with a single brilliant color; white.

* * *

**Okay, so, I really shouldn't be doing this, considering I have another set of stories in the works. But after watching the Steven Universe movie, I had this brewing in my head and I really wanted to write this. And in all honesty, I've been contemplating writing a story where our lovable blond has the abilities that Overwatch's Sigma has…but after a ton of brainstorming I got nowhere with that idea. This one, though, I have plans for. Don't be confused, this in no way is connected to Jaune the Fusion Huntsmen by Madko Ota Sanchez. And unlike their story, where I assume Jaune is still human, in this story our blond, and a select few others, mostly canon characters, only one or two ocs, will be very much Gem aliens. (Or I'll have more Gem OCs, you never know.) And no, there is no genderbent/twin with the whole Joana Arc thing. She is an arc, but a separate character all together. **

**The only fusions possible will be between humans, faunus, and gems. Maybe grimm, if I can work my way around that particular issue. But make no mistake, we have aliens on Remnant. How? What's their purpose being on Remnant, and is this in any way connected to the Steven Universe…universe? It shall all be explained further on in the story. But believe me, their presence on Remnant is not what you think. And every so often I'll have an updated list of the gems and their alias on Remnant. **

**Now, on a quick note, and I know there will be that one person who didn't read this A/N, the gems are by no means 'saviors' or 'guardians'. For this story, think of them more as wardens. I'll let you ponder on that. Also, here's a freebie; Jaune is a moonstone. The rest shall come as a surprise, others might not be.**

**Gems:**

**Pearl – (N/A)**

**Moonstone – (Jaune) **

**Like my Rally to Me story, this will mostly be written for fun, and I hope to have moments the characters can enjoy before eventually landing on the heavy shit. Oh, and the eventual pairing on this has not been decided, I don't usually considering pairings until later on in my stories, mostly to see how far each of the characters have come, and thinking what makes most sense, or, and this is very rarely, I pick a pairing I enjoy. **

**I hope you readers will stick around to see the antics I've thought up for this little universe. **


	2. Arrival in Acre

A sickening clash of metal and flesh echoed in the Diamont forest as another beast of darkness slumped unto the ground, its body disintegrating into nothing alongside its fallen kin. A lone figure stood among them, watching with a stoic expression as these beasts were nothing more than dust in the wind. For creatures that crumbled into nothingness as soon as they were killed, it slightly amused the warrior to see there was semblance of normalcy to their deaths. It had been a long grueling almost two days since this new pack arrived, and by the end of the second day, the warrior had finally finished off the last of the infestation. And with it came his silence once again. Once he sheathed his weapons, the warrior made his tread back to his temple, that is, he would've had a roaring screech not forced a tired sigh from him. His head turned upward, the sight of an outsider's ship heading for one of the nearby settlements peaked his curiosity. Mostly due to the suspicion that there would be intruders in his forest once again. Knowing what might happen should the organics find his home, he slowly made his tread south; its intent was to scout these newcomers and determine if he needed to set up traps once more. Of course, if the increasing chants and distant lights were of any indication, it was almost that time of year again. If so, then his fears would either be unfounded, or justified.

As he made his tread forward, a sudden thought came to mind; he couldn't just leave the forest in his armor, that would only drive more activity into his forest. These outsiders really seemed fascinated with whatever was new to them, and in most cases their curiosity bordered ignorance and fear. And he'd been on the receiving end of the latter more times than he could count.

Taking a moment to focus, the warrior's gem glowed brightly as his armor seemingly vanished, leaving his body in full view; beneath his armor was a suit-like outfit, melded unto his body. Jet black outlines strewn across his chest and waist, a dark grey coloring to differentiate from his pale-like skin, and the same insignia on the back of his armor was adorned on his back as well. His hair was unruly, short, and a brilliant snow color, while his eyes were a greyish hue.

Taking another moment to focus, the warrior was enveloped in light once more, his body was less reshaping, and instead shifting in coloring giving his skin a peach-like shade the outsiders of the region had. His hair became lightish gold as his eyes changed to an ocean blue. His 'suit' remained the same as it was hard enough maintaining a form with color outside his normal shades. Not to mention, not all of him would be on display for the outsiders, just enough to keep him inconspicuous and agile. From his gem, a glow once more, he reached in and retrieved a cloak of sorts with a deep forest dye, allowing him to blend in with the area should he need to. This item was part of a collection of sorts, trinkets the warrior had taken for himself in the many years he walked the surface of this world.

Wrapping the piece of cloth around him, he made his tread to where the bullhead was heading, a settlement of humans in the midst of an annual tradition.

* * *

**-Aboard the bullhead-**

The atmosphere was uncomfortable, to say the least. The teams aboard the ship were well aware the importance of gathering Intel on this mission, though, there was still the issue over the missing member they still had in mind. While it was only for a short while, and Joana was still very much alive, to see her leave as she did was still heartbreaking. For PRN, it was the loss of their leader, and a blow to their moral as the students blamed themselves for their friend's forced retirement.

None of them could've seen it coming; hell they weren't even expected to encounter the amount of resistance as they did. The grimm weren't mean to be coordinated, not that particular class of grimm, and the appearance of ancients was far from what these grimm appeared to be. They were all hunters in training, they should've handled it with ease, but what many failed to understand; they were still young, naïve, and inexperienced. They couldn't have predicted being flanked from below, to have a grimm just suddenly emerge from the ground would've thrown even a veteran off guard, especially since the grimm they were hunting were beowulfs. Still, the teens were just glad they were able to reach their friend before the beast did more than what it had already done.

Even so, nothing could've reversed the guilt these teens felt regarding their friend's condition.

_'Acre in sight, touching down in five'_

The pilot informed, only ever relaying their ETA and momentarily breaking the awkward silence that had been a nearly two day flight.

For the most part, if there was anything they could all agree on was the relief that they were about to touch solid ground again. Nora and Blake showing the most relief, while Ren and Weiss showed more subtlety. As the group began gathering their gear, Ruby stood at the front of the bullhead's door, awaiting her team and friends to approach. She didn't have to wait long, they all appeared shortly, eager to finally touch solid earth again.

Though, they quickly found their only gateway to freedom blocked by the ever so optimistic silver-eyed prodigy. She knew how the loss of one of their own affected the group as a whole, and individually. So, she made a mental note to not only ease into the problem, but to also keep their minds focused on the task ahead. Thankfully for her, she counseled with Pyrrha prior to their departure, and the red-head Spartan was in full support.

"Ok guys, listen up." While her tone lacked any form of authority or nerve, they all focused on her in regards to respect they held towards the young leader. "Once we touch down we'll need a map of Acre and intel on whatever the locals were able to map out of the forest. After we do that, we're gonna split up." She turned to her bow-less teammate. "Blake, scout out the area, keep an open ear in the busy streets. There's gotta be someone that knows what happened in the forest." She turned to her partner. "Weiss, I need you and Pyrrha to ask around, Blake's good for eavesdropping, but you might get lucky with someone willing to share something." The two nodded, to which Ruby refocused on Ren and Nora. "You two will find us somewhere to stay for the night. Nothing too expensive, but enough that we at least have a roof over our heads. Look in taverns, drunks tend to share more than they should…trust me, it's not just something you see in movies." Lastly, she turned to her sister, whom was grinning widely. "Yang, you'll be tailing Blake, if at any point she runs into trouble…well, I don't think I need to tell you what to do, do I?" To which Yang threw up a thumb, signifying her agreement to comply with the order. The group around her, although silent, showed a sense of admiration towards the young reaper for taking charge.

"And what will you be doing?" Weiss asked there was no hostility or annoyance in her tone; it was just how she was. It took some time, but most of them had gotten used to it.

"I'm gonna speak with the town's mayor, Ozpin said we need to inform the settlements of any hunter presence in their jurisdictions, and I'll also ask around, maybe I'll get something out of him, who knows." She shrugged, thinking it to be the end of the conversation. However, from the sudden frown etched across her sister's face, Ruby had a feeling she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"You sure you don't want some company, I'm pretty sure kitty cat here can-" Before she could finish, Ruby held up her palm, dawning a stern expression she was rarely seen with.

"Everyone stick to their assignments, I'll be scouting around after I'm done with the mayor." Ruby retrieved her scroll, waving it to her team. "Stay connected, stay safe…" Her eyes were zoned in on her sister. "And trust in each other's abilities. Once the sun sets, Ren will contact us on where we'll be staying for the night." And with that, the bullhead shook for a second, indicating the ship had finally touched down.

Though it was obvious Yang wanted to continue arguing, and knowing her; even if after they'd gotten their maps and split up, no doubt Yang would drag her partner with her just to keep an eye on Ruby. For the young prodigy, this sense of sibling protection was something she expected, it was a given; however, after what had happened with Joana, Yang's overbearingness has increased tenfold. To the point where anyone who looked at the reaper wrong were subject to an extensive pummeling from the brawler. The results were always with the blonde getting detention, and her team having to apologize to the affected individual. In all honesty, Ruby was surprised her sister was still a student in light of her over-protectiveness.

Regardless, as soon as each member got their maps, the young reaper was quick to depart and search for the resident mayor. As she had expected, Yang had an inkling to follow her, though, she'd managed to give her the slip as, by divine intervention; the entirety of Acre's residents were dawning cloaks and capes for some festival. In fact, taking another look around, Ruby was quick to note the theme of the festival consisted primarily around diamonds of sorts. To the point where, as she gazed into her map, she soon realized the Diamont forest was lozenge shaped.

It was eerie, to say the least, mostly due to the perfect shape of it. Still, she was glad; whatever was occurring allowed her to lose her clingy sister in a flood of hooded individuals. Although, there were many in the streets celebrating and causing such a ruckus; Ruby could only hope the noise would go down once the sun set.

It didn't take long for her to find the Mayor's office; it was the only three story building in the settlement. As she approached the doors, the guards used their halberds to block her entry.

"State your business?"

The young reaper nearly fumbled with her words, had a few pointers from Pyrrha not kicked in to guide her. "I'm a huntsman from Beacon. I'm here to speak with Mayor Rashaa, is he around?" Of course, she had removed her hood and presented a token from Beacon to verify her statement and affiliation.

Without so much as changing an expression, the guards hoisted their halberdiers and stood slightly aside. Seeing this as an invitation to pass, the young huntress was about to enter when one of the guards held a hand up.

"Mayor Rashaa passed away a week ago, his granddaughter Ishtar is in charge. Word of advice, don't mention the old mayor and don't extend apologies; you might rub her the wrong way."

"Oh…thanks for the tip." Ruby muttered as she walked pass the eerily stoic guards.

The mayor's office was what she expected; several rooms dedicated to political matters, the rest for their own reasons she would not delve into. No, what peaked Ruby's attention was what she could only describe as a small rabbit faunus, sitting behind a desk beside two hulkin doors leading to what she assumed was the Mayor's room.

The rabbit woman spared her the faintest glance before returning to the scroll on her desk, the screen indicating she was in the middle of writing some form of report. "Name and inquiry." Her tone almost sounded like Weiss'; cold and merciless. It allowed Ruby to breathe easier as she had a bit of knowledge on how to keep a punctual person cooperative.

"Ruby Rose, Beacon Huntress, I'm here to inform the mayor of our presence and to ask her a couple of questions regarding our mission she might be willing to share." Precise and to the point, all of which without revealing too much information and keeping a sense of formality. And of course, she displayed her token without the usual gusto one would expect from Nora, but rather a mix of Weiss and Blake.

The woman appeared unchanging as she once again spared Ruby a faint glance before returning to her work. "Noted. Please wait while I set an appointment."

"Oh, ok…Should I sit?" She gestured to the chairs by the exit, acting as a waiting area.

"No one is stopping you." Her reply gave a sense she was growing irritated, giving Ruby her warning to avoid any further talk. The name plate on her desk revealing only her surname; Hopps. If that wasn't irony, she almost snickered, had she not had years of self-control and a family that enjoyed puns to death.

Without much more conversation, Ruby sat across from the assistant, her eyes glancing around the seemingly empty room. The entirety of the waiting area was nothing more than a set of plants at the corners, a few portraits of the landscape, and a single portrait of an individual facing away from the painter. The only noticeable trait of the individual was their pristine armor, outlining a single insignia adorning their back; a white lozenge diamond.

It took a moment for the gears to click in place for the huntress. Curiosity was reaching all new peaks as she stood up and walked a bit closer to the painting. The head of the individual was turned to the side faintly, allowing her to see a glance at their eye through their sleek helm; piercing ocean blue.

*ahem*

Ruby's eyes widened as she snapped to the assistant staring at her with a stern glare. "I have not called you yet, please sit back down."

"O-o-o-oh, i-i-i-I;m sorry…um…who is that?" She pointed to the portrait hanging just above the rabbit woman.

In a surprising twist, Hopps' eyes widened, turning only once to the portrait before refocusing to Ruby, softening as she removed her glasses.

"The Right Hand of Oum." She stated, a sense of pride was inched in her tone. "The guardian of the Diamont forest. For generations, some even say long before humans and faunus walked Remnant, he and several other guardians roamed Remnant, slaying the creatures of the grimm, ever-standing upon the peaks of Remnant's highest mountains to watch over us. There are many tales of the different guardians; the Smith, the Thief, the Earth Shifter. But none as prominent as the Warrior; the unyielding right hand of Oum, standing always tall and proud amongst a heap of slaughtered grimm. There've been many who've claimed to see him, and all accounts were gathered and fused into what you see here. And the details of the sightings have been the same for almost a thousand years, and that's with the documentation available from those eras." The way this woman spoke of this individual almost felt as though she revered the Warrior. And in all honesty, Ruby could understand why. Although, she was even more curious in regards to the lineup of other legends this settlement had.

"A lot of people would say it's just a story." She wouldn't, childish it might've been, but Ruby held high hopes that this Warrior was real.

Hopps seemed to have taken offense to that as the glimmer in her eyes died rather fast. She placed her glasses back on and sat down with her eyes glued to her screen. "Fools, the lot of them." She muttered bitterly.

"Umm…" Before Ruby could ask anything further the doors to the Mayor's office had been opened, allowing her entry.

"She will see you now." Hopps stated curtly, her eyes focused intensely on her work as she was now typing faster and rougher.

Needing no further instruction, Ruby rushed into the Mayor's office, the door shutting loudly behind her. A high-pitched yelp escaped her lips as the doors slammed just quick enough to strike her rear end.

A woman behind a much larger desk was staring wide-eyed at Ruby. She had long flowing ebony hair, brown skin, wearing a set of robes around her with a decorated veil covering just above her forehead. She must've been in her thirties, no question, since she appeared no older than her own father, but she wasn't too young like her assistant outside.

The woman in question glanced to Ruby, then to the door. "Uhhhhhh…Welcome?"

"Hi…" Ruby waved nervously, to which the woman's demeanor quickly changed. She organized her papers just before setting them aside and standing to meet her guest.

"Welcome hunter, I was informed you hail from Beacon, correct?" Ruby nodded. "Wonderful, however, I'm afraid you are a bit late; hunters have already come and searched the surrounding areas, the Grimm have been neatly culled from our borders. I'm afraid your trip here was for nothing."

She appeared really nice, from what Ruby could tell.

"I understand, Mayor, however, Headmaster Ozpin sent us to investigate who or what was the cause of the eradication." This didn't seem to go well with the Mayor as her small smile had faded, giving way to what Ruby could only guess to be impatience.

"I see…well, I don't see what else there is to say. I've told the hunters before you all I know, and honestly there is nothing different I have to say of the culling. For that matter, shouldn't your headmaster not simply be thankful that the grimm are gone and be done with the matter altogether?" Her irritation was beginning to show.

"We are, but, we need to determine if who or whatever killed all those grimm are a danger to the settlements."

Ishtar did not respond, rather, it almost appeared as though she took the young huntress' words to heart. Yes, the people of her home, and many in the regions surrounding Diamont, were set in their beliefs that this culling was the work of the Warrior, and while the mayor held the ancient figure in high regard, she understood the skepticism of outsiders. They all fear what they cannot see; their faith is in what they are able to understand.

Ishtar heaves a heavy sigh as she sat back down behind her desk. "Mmm, well then, I will not intervene, nor will I obstruct your investigation; I only ask that you respect my people and not go around prying folks during our festival."

Just mere seconds after the sounds of bells began ringing through Acre. From the enlarged window behind the mayor, the two could see the denizens amassing to the settlement's center, children were waving around small flags and kites.

"Speaking of…" Ishtar rewrapped herself before collecting herself and gesturing the young huntress to the door. "I must lead the opening for the festivities tonight; we will speak more in detail of your team's assignment tomorrow." As the mayor was 'leading' Ruby away, the huntress noticed Hopps had cloaked herself in a garb similar to the ones the towns folk were wearing. She correctly assumed the theme of the celebrations in town had something to do with it. Though, before she could question it, the prodigy found herself standing outside the Mayor's office already, lost in a sea of townsfolk all wrapped in cloaks and headed towards the center of town.

Lost in the flurry of the crowded streets, Ruby lost her balance and fell unceremoniously unto the hardened ground. All the while folks were still moving as if an outsider had not fallen in the middle of a crowded street, of course, considering the hectic rush to the town center; this festival must've been something important to these people if they were able to maneuver themselves in this mess and not be trampled in the process. Also, a quick mental note, Ruby couldn't help but notice there were far more people here than she initially thought.

Funny enough, the crowds seemingly shortened as the young huntress was still processing her fall. The young prodigy was hoping to speak to the mayor for much larger than the time they just had. The mission was meant to last two months, though; they had two other settlements to cover before having to return home. And already; Ruby wasn't having any luck on her end; the only sliver of good news was that they notified the mayor of their presence. It didn't seem like such a big deal, but in the bureaucratic process, if she hadn't; the result would be another headache altogether. Pressing her palm against a ringing headache, Ruby opened her eyes to greet the bright sun and a hand reaching out to her.

Glancing up, she was met with a pair of piercing ocean blue staring stoically at her from what little this individual's hood covered. While this was a normal and helpful gesture, there was something about this individual that unnerved the young huntress, particularly the he felt so artificial. Most people, even the stoic ones had a tell; something about them that gave her a hint as to how to proceed with the person she was dealing with. But this one? Everything about him seemed unnerving, fake.

But then she realized she was judging the only person who had offered a hand. Realizing this, she took his and was lifted up rather quickly. In actuality, she felt herself pulled up just before she could begin to lift herself off the ground. Meaning this individual lifted her up on her own.

She glanced back to him; his eyes were still fixed on her as she dusted herself off. "Thanks." She grumbled, checking for her holster to make sure her weapon was still there. After confirming it was, she sighed with relief, turning her attention back to the individual who helped her.

He was still emotionless, though, he didn't appear hostile or dangerous, despite the eerie aura around him. Or rather, lack thereof. For some reason, Ruby couldn't determine how much aura this individual had; actually, it almost felt as if he didn't have any at all. Which was an obvious impossibility; EVERY human and faunus had aura, there was no disputing that. She guessed the sudden tumble must've rocked her senses a bit.

"I'm sorry for troubling you; me and my team are here on an assignment from Beacon." She flashed him her token.

* * *

Hunters.

Ever so subtly, the hooded individual frowned, seemingly having found his quarry.

The Warrior wasn't sure if he'd find the hunters so quickly, and yet, here was one, with her team possibly nearby. It wouldn't be that hard right? Just look for folks carrying everyday items that can also be guns…these creatures were a strange bunch. Still, the technology was rather new, albeit overused, and it ceased to be entertaining when something as simple as an instrument shifted into a firearm.

"Excuse me?" The Warrior's attention snapped back to attention, his eyes refocused on the young girl before him. "…were you listening to me just now?"

The Warrior shook his head, much to the girl's apparent displeasure.

"I asked if you knew anything about the people who wiped out the grimm in the forest?" Once again, he shook his head, to which Ruby groaned, her head slumped as she already found her current task to be more difficult than she had planned, especially with the locals seemingly avoiding most of her questions.

Ruby glanced up; startled after noticing the hooded man was just a bit closer than before. Though, his attention wasn't on her, but rather, on her weapon. To be precise, he was holding her weapon in his palms, inspecting it closer. It was more of a surprise how he was able to procure it without her even noticing, and with such stealthily efficiency too; Weiss would have a fit if she learned her leader was pickpocketed so easily.

Curiosity prompted the unknown to press some button, revealing the weapon's second form; the scythe. Most would be in awe of such a thing, him, though; he was still emotionless. It was almost as if he was not impressed with what he was seeing.

Without even a moment of hesitation, Ruby swiped back her weapon, glaring at the individual who had stolen it. He remained unfazed, which angered the girl, what right did he have to just take Crescent Rose as he did? She admitted, the weapon was truly something to behold; however, it was HER weapon, and she was damned if anyone but her would be wielding it.

"Impressive." Her glare lightened slightly as the individual had actually spoken to her. It wasn't the fact that he spoke that caught her off guard; it was the tone of voice that got to her. There was something about his voice that felt both soothing, and with a sense of authority. And his compliment, albeit just a single word, garnered within her a sense of pride. "You're weapon appears large for one of your stature, though, its lack of weight suggests you've modified it to adjust to your fighting style. And judging by the fact that it is a ranged and close-quarter weapon…" As his eyes landed back on her after taking a final glance at her weapon, a miniscule of what appeared to be a smile edged on his lips. Almost unnoticeable, but Ruby would swear she saw it. "I'd be honored to see it in action."

At that, the girl was sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. She didn't expect…well, she most certainly expected to hear praises regarding her weapon; she built it herself after all. It was her pride and joy…some would say perhaps to a point that it was off-putting, but she didn't care. Though, with the grimm all clear from the area, there really wasn't a chance for her to showcase her baby. That being said, there was a festival going on, she wasn't sure if displaying a high caliber weapon in a crowd of people was such a good idea. The unknown must've been reading her mind since…

"Hmm, but not here, not now. No need to attract the infection by frightening the populace." He muttered, glancing towards the center, watching the crowd encircle a Diamond shaped statue with dancers flowing along with the music.

Now there was something new; he called the grimm an Infestation, as if it were a plague, and not a force of evil bent of enveloping all of the world in eternal darkness and death…you know; the logical explanation. Still, Ruby was in agreement, it wouldn't be so productive to cause a scene in a time like this. For the moment it was best to just enjoy the festivities.

But then it hit her; she had kept up a conversation with a stranger. There was no fumbling, and aside from the fact that he took Crescent Rose, she wasn't at all nervous or anti-social like she normally was. It was odd, but she didn't feel the need to keep up an act.

"Umm…" The girl muttered, catching the attention of the stoic unknown once more as she seemingly was gathering her courage to ask something. "Do you have a weapon?" It was an innocent question, and judging by the brilliant glimmer of interest in her eyes, the unknown had a hunch she was perhaps something akin to a smith. If that was so, then perhaps she built her weapon herself. That in of itself is something to marvel, especially for such a small one too.

Thinking nothing of her question, he nodded. To which she faintly started bouncing with glee.

"Can I see it?" Now there lay the problem. It was one thing to show her his weapon, but if someone saw… the unknown glanced around and, conveniently, most if not all the townsfolk were now in the center of the village. Leaving them on a mostly empty street. Seeing as there weren't many witnesses, and what he did next could be counted as something these things called; semblances, he reached for his chest.

For a moment, Ruby was confused when he placed his palm against his chest, her confusion made way for shock when from his chest a brilliant light began to glow. From it, she noticed a rather large white gem on his chest, and from it, sprouted a handle in pure white light. Grabbing hold of the hilt, the unknown drew his weapon from the gem, revealing a sword shrouded in a pure white light. Within seconds the light disappeared, revealing a short sword with a rectangular shape, and a vertical cut near the end. She might've been a bit disappointed had the way in which he presented his weapon not captured her attention completely.

When he presented his weapon to her, Ruby reached for it, taking only a second to wield it from its guard before her eyes lit up. "Woah! It's so light! It's like I'm not even holding it." She exclaimed, the fire in her eyes reignited for a mere moment. What managed to change the stoic unknown's expression to shock in a span of a few seconds was when it raised it up to swing it.

Upon her first swing, a wave of energy shot out from her motion, releasing a wave of light to strike into an empty stand nearby and completely decimate it.

If it were possible, one could say there was a fire burning from the girl's eyes as she recovered from her initial shock. She was now eyeing the weapon with much more fascination and interest than before.

"Lightweight AND it fires dust projectiles!? You have to tell me how you made it." She had gotten rather close to him; it was now her who was unnerving the hooded man.

For the Warrior, this was a first in quite some time. He remembered another having almost the same reaction to his weapon, although the two shared much in similarities, eerily so; he knew this one was not the same as the one he remembered. Still, as he retrieved his weapon from the young girl, his eyes fell unto the sword. It was one of the few things he discovered about himself early on, all those centuries ago when he walked the empty world, fighting off a seemingly endless horde of the infection.

That word; infection, he knew not why he called those dark beasts that, it might've been easier for him to call them what these creatures did, but calling them by what he knew gave the Warrior a sense of familiarity.

…

Hold on, there was a word he heard rarely; dust. The settlers here never spoke of it, few in the others did, though, it was only when in regards to some organization of sorts; Sneeze, or something like that. It was something that peaked his interest for some time, and considering he rarely heard it must mean it must've been something new to the world. But then again, he hadn't really intermingled with these creatures as much as he used to. Not after a massive battle these creatures conjured, one he assumed was to be taken to the heart of the infestation and purge it. No, it was aimed at their own kind. A pointless civil strife amongst their own people, something that greatly hurt the Warrior, given that he had passed on what little wisdom he could regarding the infestation. However, when he left there was mention of a form of particle that had been giving them an edge over the infestation.

At the time, his anger and disappointment in these beings prompted him to leave them to their own devices, choosing instead to wander the world in anonymity, exploring every corner and purging the infestation wherever he found it.

But, now that he was with someone that hopefully was well versed in knowledge.

"What is dust?" That question seemed to cause the girl to flinch.

Before she had the chance to ask, they heard a loud and desperate cry.

"RUBY!"

He could see it in the girl's eyes, as her head snapped to the side. He mimicked, seeing a girl with long flowing locks of blonde propel herself with great speed at him. Her fist was aimed directly for him, she had good coordination, and her attack, with such velocity, would indeed pack quite a punch.

However…

He dodged the attack, though not without his cloak suffering a noticeable rip. Seeing the sudden attack as a threat, rightly so, the Warrior steadied his blade, aiming right at the newcomer. The latter being locked in a trance over what just happened. When she finally snapped out of it, her eyes darted to where he once stood, and where he stood now. She seemed confused, angered too.

Truly, was she so egotistical to assume that her rage-filled outburst, followed by clearly loud attack would not go unnoticed? Well, it didn't matter; she would fall, like the others before her.

"Yang, what're you-"

"Stay back, Ruby. I'll kick this bastard mugger's ass for trying to steal from my baby sister." She hollered, a group of other cloak less individuals appeared, one was dressed in snow and white attire, another in gold and red, and the last in black and white.

They too drew their weapons, which prompted an issue; one he could handle, but four of them? These were hunters too, so there was a possibility he wouldn't come out on top this time around.

"I got this, you guys hang back." Or, apparently not, it seemed the arrogance of this blonde one was in his favor.

"Yang, stop! He wasn't mugging me, he was-" Not even giving her a chance to answer, the girl attacked once more, this time she wasn't going all in; good. Keeping a firm grip on his sword, the Warrior lowered his weapon to his side, not intending on using it. Instead, he chose to play a power move he learned early one.

Before, their weapons were flimsy and brittle at best, sure there must've been obvious change to their arsenals, but it didn't negate one simple fact.

As the girl's fist was about to collide with his face, he moved to the side once more, now however, his arm shot up, catching the huntress by surprise as she slammed into his arm. Her head recoiled backwards, seeing her stunned the Warrior grabbed her by her jacket's collar hoisting her into the air and slamming her down unto the ground with enough force to create a miniature crater beneath them.

His senses rang with numerous alarms as his head snapped up just in time to see the white-haired one speeding to him with much faster velocity than the blonde one. Her weapon, a rapier it seemed, was aimed directly at him. As he was about to move aside, the Warrior felt something tugging at him; keeping him in place. He glanced downwards to see the one in black had him roped in by some black ribbon. It caught him by surprise, more so when he remembered the speeding threat coming at him.

*clank*

The white-haired one's eyes widened as she saw her rapier strike, not her intended target, but rather a shield that seemingly appeared from nowhere. Stunned, and nursing the ringing vibration from her weapon striking his shield, the Warrior used this to his advantage as he grabbed the monochrome one's ribbon, and with a single tug, pulled her with such force she was sent flying into the white-haired one. The two of them were writhing on the ground, clearly in pain. As he turned to the one still standing, he felt a looming danger rising from the crater. He turned just in time to see the blonde one seemingly explode with rage; her hair was set ablaze as she dove at him one more.

He used his shied to block each of her attacks, all of which were anger driven so it was easy to predict her attacks, however, when he glanced to the gold and red one, she was holding up her palm at him, as if she were trying to cast something. Her hands had a blackish aura around them so it was a valid assumption. Although, given that the attacks from the blonde one had yet to cease; he was less than inclined to stick around further to see what she was planning.

He parried her fists once more, throwing her off balance as he grabbed her jacket and flung her with little effort towards the red and gold one. So caught up in her own devices she did not see the blonde coming straight for her. And within seconds the two were down, though not out of the fight as they were attempting to wave off their pain by attempting to rise up once again.

Seeing that as his signal to leave, the Warrior spared the silver-eyed girl one last glance before turning and running towards a crowd that had been gathering. Though, where one would expect him to disappear among them, instead, he enveloped his body in a brilliant white light, his body seemingly changing shape before the light faded, and from where he stood was a hawk. Gaining just enough momentum to take off just above the crowd as he made his flight westward.

* * *

Her team didn't notice, they were still writhing in a pain their auras were strangely taking longer to heal. But she saw, Ruby saw what just occurred; the unknown had changed his physical form to that of a bird. The same way he drew his sword he'd done so with his body. Oh the many questions that flooded her mind at the moment were enough to keep her dreams occupied for the days to come. Which prompted another issue, the townsfolk had seen as well. Not just the fleeing villager, but the small skirmish that just ensued. Luckily enough, not too much of the street they were on was destroyed, though, they all appeared pretty livid, and there were a few who had beads in their palms and were muttering something while on their knees and their hands in prayer form.

Ahead of the crowd was Ishtar, and she was perhaps the most livid of the settlers gathered. It was going to be one mess of a damage control op they had ahead of themselves.

Although, there was one thing that Ruby couldn't help but notice as the unknown took off. Just as he had turned to run towards the crowd, a gust of wind blew up his cloak, revealing to her an insignia etched unto the back of his cloths; a white diamond.

* * *

**So, real quick; I went through the many characters of RWBY, and I have selected a little over ten (14 if you want an exact answer) of all who've appeared thus far in the series who shall be gems in this story. Their stones and allegiances have been set and will be introduced later on. Now, in regards to what I mentioned in the first chapter, please keep in mind that the gems in RWBY are not like the ones we're used to seeing, and it shall be explained why. Believe me, I have a few juicy bits I really just wanna reveal and spill out, but I'm trying to pace myself, taking it slow enough so you'll enjoy what I've got in store for this story.**

**And while it would've been pretty easy to make Ruby a…Ruby, I've decided she shall remain human. (or will she…?) Also, Jaune is by no means OP, and neither will any of the other gems be. The reason for his strength and abilities will be due to his purpose for being on Remnant. Which, again, shall be explained later.**

**That being said, I hope this latest installment was fun, next I have to update a few of my other stories, but make no mistake, the next one shall come along soon. **


	3. Promises and Punishments

Five huntresses sat quietly within the Mayor of Acre's office, each of them bandaged up and sitting across from a noticeably peeved woman, seemingly trying to glare daggers into their skulls. Or rather, her ire was aimed mostly towards the four involved in the incident. Beside the woman were her personal escorts, each of which were as well glaring at the outsiders, their fingers itching for their weapons as these criminals were not in chains, per the mayor's request.

After allowing her anger to simmer down, if only slightly, the woman heaved a long sigh before attempting to speak to these huntresses. "Do you have the slightest inclination of the crimes you have committed today?" She spat, her tone was as cold as ice, and her glare was anything but welcoming. Though, only the blonde one appeared unaffected by her anger…good, she needed to vent out some stress after the storm of yells she received from the villagers.

"Yea, I stopped a mugger from hurting my sister. You gonna jail me for that?" The blonde spat her own version of what occurred. Though, it did not have the reaction she expected, rather, it actually seemed to anger the soldiers.

"Insolent little-" One growled, drawing her weapon before a hand from the mayor rose up, signaling her to cease transgressions. Reluctantly, the guard did so, although, it did not remove the hostile aura still suffocating the room.

"Ms. Rose, I said I would not impede your investigation, however, I cannot overlook their acts of transgression." She breathed heavily; her pupils had narrowed, locked unto the four huntresses before her. "Nor can I allow their crimes to go unpunished."

"Mayor Ishtar, I understand your anger, and believe me I won't argue that my teammates should be punished, but they were acting in the best interest, I assure you." Ruby argued for her team. While it stung that she was on the mayor's side partially, at least at the moment the woman showed a softer side towards the reaper so there was a chance the punishment would be lessened.

"Oh, and what would you have me do? Allow them to go free? Would you have me release them from their bindings believing this sort of behavior is fine?" The tension was elevating with each second that the woman was forced to look at the criminals.

"Excuse me, what behavior?!" The heiress had enough; being in trouble due to Yang's message of Ruby being in trouble with a mugger was one thing, but to be belittled for a crime she had yet to understand was committed here was beginning to unnerve her.

"Attacking a civilian based solely on assumption and hearsay." At this, however, the mayor spared only a side glance, but the fury in her eye and tone was enough to send the message; know your place. "Did you really think that was such a good idea, to attack someone the way you did, solely because you assumed they were threat."

"He had his sword drawn at my sister!" Yang hollered, angered and frustrated over repeated her side of the story and not being taken seriously by these people. She knew what she saw, and she was not going to stay back and let her sister be hurt by that damned bastard.

What she didn't expect was for her own sister to stand up, hollering at her. "I HAD MY WEAPON OUT!" Her outburst silenced the room entirely, garnering looks of shock from her teammates, and startling the guards. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Ruby turned her attention back to the Mayor. "I'm sorry for raising my voice…but with her, it's the only way you'll actually get anything through that thick head." The amount of shame and anger in Ruby's tone was unprecedented, even for Yang who knew the reaper her whole life. To hear her baby sister not only rebuke the brawler's story, but to take the side of the one who was trying to steal from her…

Or, was he?

Truly?

No. She knew what she saw, Ruby was just confused. And she would've told her so had the Mayor waved her hand.

"It is fine; I've dealt with my share of stubborn fools. Be that as it may; you are no longer welcomed in Acre, I want you and your team gone by noon tomorrow, and I will personally contact your headmaster to inform him of what has occurred here. My soldiers will escort you to a room where you shall stay the night." Her eyes narrowed once more. "And as for you lot…" Before the teens could even register what was occurring, a set of cuffs were placed on each of them, the startled brawler jumped in surprise, her eyes turned red. Though, it lasted only for a few seconds before her face shifted to one of confusion and shock. "Aura suppressors, we may not be as technologically advanced as you outsiders, but that does not mean we will not prepare ourselves for eventualities." As the woman arose, her guards began to shift as well, moving behind each of the four huntresses, grabbing them rather roughly by their shoulders. "Until your leader is ready to leave, you shall remain in a holding cell. I cannot trust impulsive huntresses to roam around my settlement attacking my people." For the four, this was one hell of a wakeup call as they were being taken to their resting place for the night.

Yang turned to Ruby, hoping and praying her sister would find a way to help, to tell the woman they were leaving that night so they'd be out earlier. But, Ruby only kept on looking as she was taken away, the door shutting on them not too long after.

As for the reaper, she was deathly quiet and eerily calm, but inside; she was torn. On the one hand, she knew why her sister reacted the way she did, she understood the protective side and learned to work around it. But these people; they didn't know how Yang was, and at this point; they might be too frightened now to even give a damn. The image they all painted for themselves, and Beacon; it was disgraceful. Say it was a mugger, sure, but to attack them the way they did. It would've been so much easier to just apprehend him and wait for the authorities to show up.

But they didn't wait. And what hurt Ruby most was that the others were involved in this too. The three people she expected rationality from failed her, and it hurt. Though, she understood what prompted them to act; they were scared of losing another friend. She speculated that Yang was already in the area, and knowing her she probably exaggerated what she'd seen. They came in a flurry, with the intent to protect their friend from harm…maybe, just maybe, to atone for their guilt for failing the first time around. It didn't absolve them of their actions, but she understood why.

"I know this must be hard for you…" Ishtar voiced genuine sympathy, her face had softened. "To put duty before family is a hardened path, but a just one for a huntress. I will not allow their crimes to go unpunished, but I cannot keep them here; my people have become uneasy, and the last thing I want is more hunters from Beacon knocking at my door, demanding the release of their own. The paperwork would be the least of my problems; and I have neither the strength nor the numbers to make a substantial threat against Ozpin. When you return, tell him I will in no way be calling for aid from Beacon, there are other academies to call aid for. And as per a treaty I have with the other settlements, I am obligated to inform them of renegade huntresses in the area." Ishtar sat back down at her desk; her hand waved at her guards as she retrieved a stack of forms and began a long night of bureaucratic management. The guards she signaled bowed their heads once before approaching Ruby and gesturing her to follow them. Seeing as she had no further business with the mayor she had turned to face the door just before hearing the woman call out to her. "Should you ever find yourself in the area, Acre is welcomed to you Miss Rose, safe travels on your journeys." The look in her eyes as she watched the reaper leave indicated she relented to see the young huntress leave, but could not afford to allow the girl's teammates to remain in the town with the people in unrest.

Ruby was only able to get one final glance at the mayor as the doors shut.

* * *

Three guards were stationed in the holding cells, due to the festival a few of the blocks had been occupied for drunkards and unorderly rabble. However, to the chagrin of the few tasked to watch over four special guests in the cells that night. Huntresses, from Beacon, apparently had been arrested and placed in their own blocks until their leader came for them, which was probably in the morning. The reason for their annoyance at watching these four was due to the attitude of the white haired one, demanding a scroll call, announcing her rights, as if the Kingdom International laws applied to every civilized sector of Remnant. In Acre and all the Diamont villages; they have their own set guidelines and protocols; and prisoners receiving a call was most definitely not one of them.

The red and black haired ones were quiet enough, latter seemingly not caring for her surroundings, and the former being perhaps the only one contemplating her life choices. The yellow one said nothing choosing instead to stare at through the small barred window at the night sky. Their cell was at the end of the holding area, away from the usual rabble. This special treatment irked the guards, though; they could also see why four young girls were kept away from chained rooms holding drunkards.

So, they mumbled bitterly at the added work of keeping an eye on huntsmen with their damned semblances. Though the guards Acre were well armed, and quick to mobilize; their soldiers did not have their semblances unlocked. Many couldn't, others kept their powers untouched due to their own ideologies. While many have argued that this refusal to adapt and embrace their gifts would become their undoing; Acre still stands where many others before it have fallen.

The doors to the holding unlocked, catching the trio by surprise as they had assumed the patrols had rounded up all the drunkards and unruly denizens before the curfew. Descending down the stairs was a young girl cloaked in red, with a hunter's weapon strapped to her back. The guard's faces lit for a moment, hoping this was the leader coming to take the four teens away.

"I'm here to talk to my team, if that's alright." And like that their hopes crashed. One sighed deeply as she stood up and retrieved the cell key. "No, I'm not here to take them just yet, I just want to know if I can talk to them for a little bit."

Was she leaving them out of internal spite or a grudge? Or was this girl aware of their crimes and chose their stay in the cells as the ramification of their actions? Whatever the case, the female guard nodded, gesturing to the last cell at the end of the hall. Regardless of the reaper's words, she slipped the huntress the key just in case she changed her mind.

Solemnly, Ruby walked to the end of the hall slowly, her heart pounding against her chest as she could hear the faint sounds of Weiss grumbling. It was eerie how the echo grew louder the closer she approached.

Before she was even at the door, a pair of hands slamming against the steel bars caused the huntress to flinch, recoiling backwards a bit as she could see Weiss' piercing glare from a small angle behind the bars.

"Ruby Rose…" She spoke through gritted teeth, though; at this point her anger rarely affected the young team leader anymore. "You will get the key, open this damned cell, and release us from this disgusting dwelling. Right. NOW!" Her outburst echoed throughout the holding, the passed out drunkards remained asleep, though one of the guards had been caught off-guard and tumbled backwards from his seat, much to the enjoyment of the other two.

Seeing her partner this angered with her was nothing new, hell it was more or less expected.

"No." Ruby's words struck the heiress, an expression of betrayal crossed her face as she sputtered to think of a response; she couldn't come up with anything but incoherent rambling. Seeing this, Blake pushed Weiss aside, stepping in to speak to their leader as Yang was still absentmindedly staring at the shattered moon and Pyrrha was groveling over how she ended up in the cell in the first place.

"Ruby, I know what you're doing, I get this is a lesson for us **not** to just jump into a fight without knowing the **full details**." Her glare was aimed at Yang before returning to her leader.

"Then you know why I can't get you out of here yet." Ruby's response, although sounding cold and harsh, in reality was spoken with hesitation. In truth, she didn't want to leave her friends here, she wanted to get them out; and the key in her hand was only fueling her desire to free them. But…

"Are you serious, you're gonna leave us in here? For the whole night?" Blake's hope was hanging by a thread, as was Pyrrha's. Not to mention Weiss' sanity wasn't in too well of shape at being in a place meant to hold criminals. "We thought you were in trouble, we only came in to help."

"And yet when I told you he wasn't mugging me, you didn't listen."

That rebuttal the three off guard; they didn't hear her say anything. Actually, their attention was focused more on the individual using only one hand to keep Yang in check; they heard only muffles and screams from some nearby citizens. They were so lost in the moment; did they really not hear their leader? Even Weiss, as prideful as she was, actually began doubting herself as she remembered a muffled scream as the noise from her glyphs drowned out any nearby distractions.

"Ruby, please, we would never leave you in a place like this." Pyrrha came up to the bars, her eyes were pleading for Ruby to show some measure of mercy.

"If I had done the same thing you did, you'd get me out of here?" She asked, baiting them in. And they knew it, their fourth didn't. Slamming against the bars was the still subdued brawler, her eyes a hardened lilac as the cuffs were damned effective at keeping the girl from activating any abilities.

"Without hesitating." Yang responded, her palms gripping the doors as she glared down at her baby sister.

Ruby glared back at her, her own personal dilemma reinforced as she slipped the key into her pocket. "Then you're not fit to be a huntress." Those very words rocked Yang to her core, nearly forcing her to tears as she watched her own sister say that without a hint of hesitation in her eyes. The others were similar in their reactions, although downplayed as they saw this coming. "A huntress is meant to protect the people, and uphold the law. What better are we if we give each other 'get out of jail free' cards whenever we **think** we're in the right? We're not vigilantes, Yang, and we're not above the law. I really shouldn't be telling you this. I gave you a simple order and you couldn't even do that right…" Her voice had changed; it made the four huntresses flinch, Yang in particular as she never expected to be chewed out like this by her siblings. It was breaking her bit by bit, and the saddest thing of it? Ruby was right, hitting every point at the mark. "You abandoned Blake, and I know you did since she arrived from a different part of town than you. You misled and misinformed our team of the situation; placing both yours and their lives in danger. The mission is compromised because you couldn't trust me enough to do my own damn job. And now, not only have we been kicked from Acre, but almost every other village in Diamont will be notified of what you've done here. At best; we'll be allowed to just camp outside the village. At worst; you'll be jailed again, and I might not be able to help you if that happens." As Ruby listed off the outcome of Yang's outburst, the brawler could only dip her head down in shame as her sister listed off all the things she had messed up just by throwing a single punch. The look of seriousness and determination in Ruby's eyes diminished as she stared at her sister.

She knew what she had to do, the academy had these protocols set forth for a reason. Not to mention the special classes for leaders where Goodwitch would reinforce them into her subconscious made it all the more hard since Ruby showed what was most important in the situation they were in.

"Yang…"

The brawler braced herself for another berating. Waiting for her sister to drill into her again, though, what came next was nothing close to what she was prepared for.

"…because of your actions, as your leader, I am hereby placing you under temporary probation; I will be taking your weapons, and for the rest of this mission you will have the ASC (aura suppression cuffs) on you until we report back to Beacon where you will be handed to Goodwitch, and from there she will decide your punishment." Yang's entire world came crashing down. She felt her knees wobble as she listened to Ruby list out everything with that same hardened glare in her eyes.

Taking a breather from her, Ruby's eyes shifted to her teammates, the three of them flinched as they felt the huntress begin to give them the details of their outcomes as well.

"Since you three arrived after the fact, and I still need stable minded hunters in active duty; you will have your cuffs removed, and your weapons returned to you tomorrow morning." They almost sighed in relief, had Ruby not thrown in another particular jab. "But your punishments will be decided by Goodwitch as well once we reach Beacon." They all grew pale as the severity of the situation had settled deep in their fear-filled hearts. "And before you ask; no, I didn't inform Ozpin. But the mayor said she would, so even if I were to free you guys right now; Goodwitch will just be ready for you by the time we return. So, I think it'd be best for you to stay here and reflect."

And with that, the young huntress had shifted her gaze away, ignoring the pleas from her teammates as she retrieved the key from her pocket and placing it gently on a table the guards were playing cards on. They didn't seem to notice, nor did they seemingly care as their attention was focused on their game.

This wasn't cruel, not in the slightest; this was what is meant to happen. Huntresses cannot operate outside the law, they cannot assault whoever they wish solely based on assumptions; credible evidence should always outweigh hearsay. This was what needed to be done…but it didn't make it any easier. Ruby could feel a few tears bubbling to the surface; she by no means wanted to leave her friends here, but she knew her duty as a huntress came first.

After all of this she was sure they'd hold a grudge against her; and it saddened the reaper. However, if their egos could not allow them to see the truth of their actions, then she didn't need their acceptance. Though, the thing that hurt that most was the fact that her entire team was imprisoned, and when they got out, no doubt she'd have an even tougher time getting them in line, if they ever went on missions again once professor Goodwitch was made aware of their crimes.

Feeling the cool night air as she exited the holding cell, the huntress glanced first to the road ahead of her, leading to the gates of Acre. It was almost tempting; freeing her teammates and walking off unto the next adventure. Almost as if Oum was taunting her…

"You seem stressed…" The huntress' eyes widened, snapping towards the source of that voice, seeing the other two members of PRN standing to her side. "…and why were you in the settlement's jail, if I may ask?"

This was going to be one long talk, and by the end of it she had a pretty clear idea over how these two were going to see her, and whose side they'd be on.

* * *

"We agree with you." Then again, Ruby had been wrong before. Where she expected the inseparable due to side with their red-headed team leader, they were surprisingly understanding of the situation. Rather, it was Nora Ruby was more impressed by, the reaper had an inkling Ren would see her logic in keeping the others detained for the night.

"And don't get us wrong, we love Pyrrha, but…" Nora had started that sentence, but hesitated to finish it off. Knowing she had to pull through on this, she let out a tired sigh. "…if you think this is the best thing for them' we'll trust you. But don't ask us to take a side, you're our friends; all of you." She affirmed, still surprising Ruby as the normally bubbly bomber of PRN was civil and reserved; two words that rarely, if ever, described her.

"Ruby…" Ren caught her attention, as it appeared the boy was lost in thought after Ruby recounted the events that followed up until the incident. And she truly did recount everything, to the last detail over the unknown, his weapon, and his apparent lack of knowledge regarding dust even though his weapon appeared to produce an attack that could only ever be produced from the usage of said particle. "By chance, do you remember what he looked like?"

And it was here that Ruby began kicking herself at the fact that she hadn't even gotten a name from the unknown, let alone discerned any noticeable features aside from his blue eyes. For a moment the huntress was pulling at her hair for not getting enough to work with that she could ask around for anyone who might've seen him. On that note, his abilities were what caused her to pause for a moment.

When he revealed his weapon, she noticed an oval shaped gem, seemingly embedded unto his body, blow brightly as a handle formed. Once he had pulled on said hilt, a blade was formed from the light, revealing to the huntress his weapon. For Ruby, this was where she assumed his semblance came into play; manipulation of light, she assumed. She guessed his semblance allowed him to manipulate light and use it to create weapons out of hard light, which would most definitely explain the feather-weighted weapons. But what of the transformation he pulled off? Unless…he was able to shapeshift his entire body, allowing him to take whatever for he pleased. It was both an exciting and unnerving if that was truly the case. But how?

If his ability to manipulate hard light was true, then it would be impossible for him to shapeshift his entire body, an organic mass not created from hard light…unless…

All of the speculation began to hurt the young huntresses head as the weight of the day' toll began to set on her. Realizing this, her friends guided her to the beds nearby, intending to get a full night's rest for the road ahead.

* * *

If there were awake, they've seen a hawk in a pure white coat perched atop a building, watching the young huntress he had conversed with be guided to a cot of some kind. He watched as she quickly fell into slumber, the other two sharing a cot and falling into sleep as well.

Such inefficient creatures; requiring rest cycles every day, it was a waste of time.

There were only few moments where the Warrior required rest, but he most certainly did not need it as often as these beings…still, they were relatively useless without it either. And from what he understood, many of these creatures found comfort in slumber, or rather, in the 'dreams' they have while in rest.

He was told once, what a dream was. He had them too, when he rested. Though, he could never entirely understand them, yet they all seemed so familiar. For his first rest cycle, appearing shortly after a heated battle against the infection alongside a band of the creatures with added traits and glowing eyes; the visions came in rapid succession; there was shouting, explosions, projectiles…and anger. So much anger and resentment. There were only ever two sequences that played where he was allowed to see the memories play clearly.

In one, he stood amongst a sea of slain; the sky was blackened, with small streaks of red able to pierce through, the war torn sky. The creatures that lay at his feet were of a different species to those on Remnant, however, what he took quick notice of where the fragments of what appeared to be gems in his hands. Littering the area were more of the shards, beside them were scattered axes, swords, and shields. He felt an overwhelming pain in his chest as streams of something hot and wet rain down his cheeks. As his head surveyed the area, he came to the realization; he was alone, nothing else remained. Nothing but a flag hoisted atop a ruined structure with a single white diamond as the emblem on the flag.

The second memory, he was returning from the onslaught he had witnessed; surrounding him were others in similar shades of coloring and gem shapes to his own. And as he passed them, he felt a sense of familiarity to them, a need to protect them arose. Though, before being able to take another step forward, the Warrior was met with an unknown gem, one of different color and gem shape. It pointed to him, then to the gems behind him, then back to the field, where he saw a horde of those slain organics arise and reinforce the next line.

He was given an order, he should follow it, he needed to follow it; it was what he was made for.

But he didn't, instead he threw down his sword, all the while realizing he was still holding unto the shards from earlier.

The unknown gem, angered by this, pulls out a white staff, from it came static currents of electricity. And before he could react, it was slammed against his gem, and he awoke.

He had not had dreams like those two for a while, only ever reliving those memories, and vaguely hearing the sound of a soothing voice, singing to him, lulling him into a sense of comfort and vulnerability. He didn't know how, but he knew her, he remembered her. Every dream he had, he longed to hear her voice once more…but, as of late, none of his rest cycles ever allowed her to come up again. And while he could still faintly hear her voice, it was all but fading at this point.

The only moments where he could still vaguely remember was when he stared at the shattered moon.

These memories were all he had to give him insight as to what his purpose for being here was.

If that was the case, then perhaps these creatures are not so inefficient after all, with their short lifespans and the fragility of their bodies against the infection; it was no wonder they enjoyed and required their rest cycles. In such an unforgiving world; the cycles were needed to keep their sanity in check. They needed an escape, something to alleviate their burdens and allow them a moment of comfort and vulnerability.

That and it was a biological thing, whatever that meant. The girl that gave him this information was rather vague with her knowledge as well.

Memories began playing in his head, images of other organics he'd spoken to, three of recent shared three eerily similar traits; silver eyes, an unnerving aura surrounding them, and all of them were scythe wielders.

The hawk managed to faintly cough out a dry chuckle as his eyes remained fixed on the shattered moon.

"Heh, what are the odds?" He asked no one in particular, though…

"It depends on who you ask." The hawk's head turned to the source of the voice; a hand had grabbed his neck and kept him in place. He couldn't see who had him but it didn't stop him from shapeshifting back into his normal form. As he did, he drew his sword on instinct, to which he came face to face with an unknown who had their haired tied into a ponytail; freckles adorned her skin, which was a light shade of navy blue. She adorned a sleek suit of some kind; it was a darker shade of blue, adorning a lozenge-shaped diamond on her abdomen. The suit hugged her form rather tightly, though it only covered her torso, her waist, and the upper half of her limbs.

While he drew his weapon, she didn't appear to be affected by it. Rather, upon seeing his true form, she almost appeared relieved, her features softened, which only served to alarm him more.  
"If you ask a Peridot…" She continued, ignoring the sword aimed at her. "…they'd give you a logical estimation. Ask an Amethyst or a Jasper…you'd get mostly nothing from those hulking brutes." She spoke so nonchalantly, as if her recent transgression was nothing.

"What are you?" It was a current assumption; given the girl was not the same color as what he'd see for normal organics. Not to mention, the insignia on her chest only served to reignite anger from the dreams he'd been having.

The unknown smirked, she did one of the few things he ever expected an opponent to do; she turned her back to him. And to his apparent shock; embedded onto her back was a tear shaped gem, emitting the same energy he felt only from himself and the platform at the temple.

"I've been called many names for the last five thousand years; recently, the organics call me Ilia. But you may call me; Lapis Lazuli." She turned back to face him, her smile had disappeared as her hand outstretched to him. "It took me so long to find you, having to play nice with these organics for so long, shifting in and out of different forms just to find you…" She hissed out, the fatigue and stress in her tone was noticeable, as were the bags growing under her eyes. "Come with me, and we can finally go back." So many questions were running through the Warrior's head, though, only one question was able to escape his lips.

"Go where?" He asked warily, to which Lapis' eyes softened, the annoyance and fatigue seemingly disappeared with the promise of reaching what was denied to her for so long.

"Home."

* * *

**Now, before going any further I should note the gems that appear here are all Era 1 gems, meaning the range of their powers will be allotted to shapeshifting, and special abilities we see from gems in the original series. That being said, the majority of them will have had over 5000 years to practice and perfect their own techniques and skills, so expect a few strong opponents in the near future. **

**As it was stated in the series, gems are made for a specific role to play in their empire, in here it will be no different, each that appear here will be explained. **

**Also, NO, Jaune is by no means a rebel, though, it is stated that not many were entirely happy in homeworld, and there might've been some shade thrown around behind closed doors. ****Ilia appearing now is only going to play a part into the bigger picture of what the purpose of the gems were doing on Remnant. **

**And to any who think Ruby was too harsh with Yang in this: honestly, I don't think I was harsh enough. It's one thing to read a ton of RWBY stories where Yang is overprotective and overbearing, but to see her go unpunished is an issue that really bugged me. It is most certainly not an endearing trait, at least not to the most extreme of actions.**

**Now, I have written Yang in here, and in a few of my other stories where she is similarly overprotective, and I've realized how dangerous that sort of thing is to portray without having a consequence to show that beating a person to a pulp just because they look at your sibling is just not right. So to you reviewers who voiced your concern that she wouldn't be punished; not to worry, I am way ahead of you.**

**Gems thus far:**

**Jaune; Moonstone**

**Ilia; Lapis Lazuli**


	4. The First Wave

Within Acre, where all should've been asleep, two individuals stood atop a roof across from an inn. One of the individuals had several shades of blue, yet still retaining a light hue to her skin. The other's was a variety of colors, the primary being white and grey. After their initial encounter he had shifted his colors back to his original form; though, only his eyes retained their blue hue, a trait he intentionally kept. The blue one had introduced herself to the Warrior with two names; yet, she preferred the one that almost felt as if it were more appropriate than the name the organics gave her. A plethora of questions swam within the midst of the Warrior's mind, particularly since when she spoke her name, images of several dozen ones similar to her appeared, all had different shapes and gem placements, but one thing remained constant; they were all bearing a blue diamond insignia on their bodies.

An image flashed of them facing a barren landscape, wings made of liquid sprouted from their backs as they soared into the air, and in perfect synchronization they waved their arms forward; and the earth beneath them parted.

The memory ended, too quickly, as the Warrior watched her hand reach out to him and her eyes pleading, a sense of hope in her tone gave rise to the assumption that he had something she'd been seeking.

And in regards to her monologue; that was indeed the case. However, the Warrior wasn't entirely sure what he could offer this one. Having mostly been a wanderer for the last five thousand years kept him constantly on the move. So, whatever it was she was seeking, he didn't know if he could offer it to her. Although, there was one positive revelation to all this; she was like him, she had a gemstone embedded on her. Whatever she was, they were perhaps the same, and it appeared as though she might know more of what could be his purpose for being on Remnant.

"…" He lowered his weapon, still wary, but now with questions he wanted answers for. "Where is home?" His question was normal to him, mostly since she spoke as if he should know what it is. The only place he could consider a constantly used dwelling was the temple. Although, judging by her claims to have been searching for him for the last five thousand years, he wasn't so sure the temple was what she was after. If it was, he would've run into her a long time ago.

Her eyes widened, her hand recoiled, the hope and cheer in her eyes diminished as she stared at the gem before her with a dejected expression. She frowned, ever so slightly, her head shook, and her lips trembled at some realization.

"You don't remember…" She muttered, near the point of growling. "It can't be…after five thousand five-hundred years since the Firing you haven't regained your memories?" Her voice was still low, though, it wouldn't remain so for long. "How…? There've been countless wars since then, at the very least one of those battles should've sparked a memory. What the hell have you've been doing these last millennia!?"

She had raised her voice, and given the fact that they were the only ones till awake, they were bound to alert a few of these organics from their rest cycles.

"I've been following my orders." He stated firmly, much to her confusion. That is, until an image of various grimm were projected from his gem. "Slaying the infestation."

The look of shock and anger in her eyes was unnerving, though he didn't show much of how it affected him. Rather, the Warrior instead waited for whatever her response, hoping she'd spill more information.

"…while the rest of us have been searching for a way to get back home…" She lowered her voice to a guttural growl, attempting to keep her voice from rising. "…you've been playing hero to these damn organics?" She seethed through clenched teeth. Her attention focused on his gem.

For Ilia, this was a setback on a grand scale, here before her was the very gem she'd been searching for since she recovered her memories, five hundred years after the White Firing. She expected a battle-hardened veteran, she wanted the gem she had heard stories about during her numerous deployments; the one who took her in when her court rejected her. This gem was still lost, but not gone. Just a push might be enough to trigger memories, anything to bring back the gem she remembered.

But first, before resorting to anything drastic, she attempted to trigger familiar terms, ease the gem's memories in. She stood straight, crossing her palms to form the same diamond insignia on her outfit. "I'm Lapis Lazuli Vein-1LA Cabochon-20, reporting to Moonstone, Vein-J0N Cabochon-4, charge of the celestial body, designation; Erde." She took a single step forward, testing the still waters she tampered, awaiting the ripple's effect. She breathed out, hope lingered in her voice as she hoped revealing his title and his gemstone designation would reignited his memories; both for hers and the others awaiting for her. It was a stretch, but with five thousand years of conflict she was sure one of those battles must've jogged his memories; none did. And so, she threw her chips in with referring to him by a name he bared since his creation.

"…" His face showed no reaction; rather, he watched her salute, creating a lozenge-diamond across her chest. While he didn't show it, there was something about that salute that infuriated him, to a great degree. And yet, he found himself wanted to return the gesture. Though, he managed to withhold such an urge. "Am I supposed to know what any of that means?" His voice was as cold as the night air around them.

He knew next to nothing of what he was or what his purpose was; and here came someone, in all the time since he awoke, similar to him in only that they both had gems embedded unto their bodies and sporting unnatural skin color to that of the general populace. He had hoped if anyone like him ever came around; they'd have an insight as to what they were and what their purpose for existing was. And yet, here was someone who only served to create more questions than answers. All in all, he just wanted to walk away and continue what he'd been doing for so long. Though, the only thing keeping him in place was the hope that she'd say something that he could work off of to piece together the fragments of memories flashing across his mind as of late.

Not to mention, he felt familiarity in this one; a sense of relief had washed over him when his eyes landed on her gem; he wasn't alone.

The reaction he received from the Lapis Lazuli was anything but calm and rational. She appeared as though she was having an internal struggle over how to react to his current state. If she truly had spent all this time searching for him, then that meant in some way he was essential to her plan of 'going home'.

'…us…'

There were more. She explicitly stated she and others were attempting to go home, the idea of more like them was beginning to fill within him a sense of guilt and relief, mostly the former. He didn't know why he was feeling all of these sentiments at once, but the fact that he didn't express any of it while she openly showed her emotions was telling to him; they might've been the same, but their affiliations might differ. Perhaps they were of the same race, but under different factions.

Ilia's face recoiled; her stretched out attempt to jog up his memories failed. It was more likely to anyway, she guessed that much. Just by saying a name didn't guarantee someone would instantly recover all of their lost memories. If anything, the road to getting his memories back would be a long and tedious one, considering how long it took the others to get theirs back as well.

But then, that was only because many of them had relived experiences that triggered flashbacks, and even bigger fragments of their memories that allowed them to unlock the rest. It was a step by step process, but they all had…each other…

Within a few seconds, all of Ilia's anger seemingly washed away, not all, but enough to realize the situation the gem before her was in. She had yet to see another gem in the vicinity, and there was no way that if _she_ were here, he'd be alone for even a second. And knowing her; Moonstone would most definitely have his memories back by now. Without a doubt, her ever watchfulness would've alerted him to the Lazuli's presence, and even if she hadn't noticed; she would've jumped to his defense, though, that last bit wouldn't exactly surprise Ilia in the slightest.

Still, to be alone for five thousand years, having to watch everyone around you wither and die as you linger on. She knew that feeling all too well…but then, that was before she was reminded of what she was. And yet, she only had to sit through a few hundred years of that, this gem spent over a millennia wandering the planet, constantly eradicating an infection that quite possibly had no end.

"I had hoped revealing your name would've at least sparked some memories. Anything really…but…" She trailed off, glancing around, noticing the human settlement was still eerily quiet, a part of her wondered how much their home had changed since they've been gone. The rise and fall of many kingdoms only raised the bigger question of; if their home was even still around, or had they fallen at any point in time since the Firing. "…I don't suppose you'd be willing to come with me. I don't know if anything we say will help you with your memories, but at the very least you won't be alone anymore, you'll have other gems at your side. I know for a fact the others will be relieved to see you again…" Ilia's eyes shifted to the side. "…which is nothing compared to how Emerald will react." She muttered.

None of those names sparked any sort of significance for the Warrior; however, that was the least of his concerns at the moment. She had just listed off names of others like them, gems she called them. Was that the name of their race?

It fit, quite honestly.

Something else he had to go by now was his actual name; Moonstone. It fit his color scheme, though; it made the gem wonder what exactly the specifics of Vein and Cabochon meant.

It all sounded so tempting, and in all honesty he wanted to go…but…as his eyes drifted to the forest, images of the infection and the temple flashed in his mind. Something deep within him was preventing him from even thinking of agreeing to her offer. The promise of seeing other gems was a tempting one, but one he had to deny.

Though, when his head shook, the Lazuli's expression became unreadable. As if she were expecting him to simply go along with a person who just attacked him.

"I have my duty." He stated sternly. "So long as the infection reigns free; I must fight them."

For a prolonged period of time, both were silent, Ilia eerily so. She made no movements for a span of three minutes before her lips edged into a frown. Five thousand years searching, every nook and cranny possible; she searched, and every time he somehow was able to evade her. But now, here stood the key to finally getting off this miserable planet and returning to their rightful place amongst their kind. Their numbers were small, and the tech they had to work with was relatively primitive compared to what they arrived with. However, if by some chance there was a way to spark this former war hero's memories; she'd wait another thousand years if she had to. Besides, she found him; which brought her one step closer to her goal. What was time to near immortal beings like them?

"I see…" She whispered. "Well then…I suppose I'll have to stay with you won't I?" The Moonstone cocked an eyebrow at her comment, not because it surprised him, but by how off the rails this had all turned. First she wanted him to go with her, and now she boldly states that she will be at his side from here on out. In a way, he wouldn't exactly mind the company since it meant he wouldn't be alone. It'd be a nice change of pace, and given this one could so brazenly sneak up on him while also grabbing him by the throat; he could assume she was either powerful, or just extremely lucky.

He hoped it was the former, considering he was going to return to the forest.

He gave the Lazuli a narrowed glance before aiming his sword to the tip of her neck. "Why would you come with me, wouldn't it be easier for you to just take me with you…or call in reinforcements? I doubt you'd be dumb enough to come after me alone." He muttered that last bit while eyeing his surroundings, wondering if there were other gems lying in wait for some signal to strike at him.

Although, when his eyes landed back on Lazuli, he noticed her eyes averting his, rocking herself back and forth whilst beads of sweat ran down her face and a dark blush of blue formed on her cheeks.

Moonstone could only wonder what exactly was going through this gem's head when she just suddenly decided to go after him without some form of contingency. Did she really think he would have the knowledge she assumed he should have? Did she not for a second think he was still in the dark over who he was, or rather; perhaps he wasn't the exact gem she was looking for? Having a similar name to someone else wasn't specific to a single race, there was a chance there were others with the name Moonstone. Yet, the way she referred to herself implied more that her name was akin to a serial number.

"…" He truly had no words to comment on the developing situation, at least nothing to add to his previous assumptions to her 'planning' on approaching him.

"Honestly, I could've poofed you." She stated so casually, and yet it was that single word that was enough to put him on high alert once more. His eyes once again were fixed on any and all movements made by this newcomer. Lazuli on the other hand seemed rather calm. "It would've been easier, assuming I could actually come close to poofing you." She pointed to his gem; her expression was akin to an accumulation of stress and irritancy. "I wasn't made for combat, so my chances against a warrior gem aren't exactly in my favor, and from the stories others have told of you; I'd be lucky to even come close to scratching you."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" The way she spoke of him implied he must've been something of importance to their people, and yet where were the rest of his kind. In his entire trek across this world, he had yet to ever come across another like him, this Lazuli being the first in five thousand years. Not to mention, the thing that bugged him most was her wording; she was, not birthed, made. She was created, and if they were of the same race, then the chance of him being an artificially created being was beginning to sound more of a reality. And in all honesty, it would make much more sense than the ridiculous notion of immortality for organic creatures.

"I don't know. I didn't fight the wars you did…" She trailed off, as if wanting to add something else, yet not being able to. "The earlier Moonstone veins were made to be durable, fit to complete the duties assigned to them." Well, that answered one of his questions at least.

"And where are these other Moonstones?"

Lazuli's face hardened as she stood straighter. "I don't know, as far as I know three Moonstones were assigned to Erde, but the other two were lost during our purge efforts…you're the only Moonstone left on this planet."

A moment of prolonged silence returned, the revelation was something Moonstone expected, but still left a stinging pain in his chest. It was fleeting, as most feelings were. It was only the probability that more existed somewhere…out there.

Another revelation that rocked him; Lazuli spoke of him being assigned to this planet alongside three others, and that meant they were not natives of this world; he'd been stuck here, wandering a world that was not his own for so long. Where were his people then? Did they think him dead, was a search even bothered?"

With this new plethora of questions swimming in his head, Moonstone began questioning what he was even doing to begin with. The only thing that ever seemed to make sense was fighting the infection and protecting the temple in the forest, and yet all of it seemed so miniscule compared to what the gem before him was revealing.

"THE BEACONS!"

The two gems turned their heads towards the front gate of the village, from atop a cliffside far off into the forest they saw a bonfire light up. The guards at the gates began to scurry, many still dazed and confused after having been woken up. Bells and gongs were rung as lights all across the settlement flickered on, chattering and panic began to ensue amongst the populace as the people began to wander from their homes and seek explanation for the sudden awakening.

"Grimm! Grimm have been spotted from the north headed south!"

"Get the villagers to the shelters!"

Were the shouts of the soldiers as many rushed into the settlement in hopes of directing their people to safety in time.

Both gems watched as the organics scrambled about, the soldiers did such a pitiful job at controlling the masses as there were many being trampled and shoved aside, the constant shouting of the approaching infection instilled fear within the people; which in turn only served to entice the infection to attack the village.

"It would seem the Grimm are headed here." Ilia stated, her eyes fixated on the north. "And if it's got them in such a twist, it's gotta be a big herd of 'em. Right?"

"Perhaps." Moonstone replied, unsure of the numbers they'd be facing. This wasn't exactly new; the villages always had some sort of system to alert their homes if a horde of the infection was close. But something didn't feel right; it was almost as if the fire being lit was an indication of a much bigger threat. Knowing his duty, he shapeshifted into a hawk once again, taking flight without so much as a second thought of the gem that was with him.

It didn't take long for her to be seen soaring alongside him, somehow, she flew with wings made of water.

"Geez, didn't even give me a warning." She stated, half annoyed, though also with a childish pout.

"The infection draws near, if you truly wish to travel with me, prove your merit in this." The malicious smile that took form on her lips would've unsettled him, though; his statement didn't exactly promise he would trust her. His guard would remain up so long as he felt she gave him a reason to suspect no ulterior motive.

As the two soared high above, both were able to see the approaching infestation; beowulves and Ursa were perhaps the greater threats for the soldiers, the smaller ones at the front were nothing more than cannon fodder. But, the ones pacing steadily in the middle of the herd were behemoths; Goliaths to be specific. They weren't huddled; they were spread out, yet remained in the middle of the small flood of infection. Three; a tad overkill for such a small settlement. A single goliath leading the horde would've been enough.

Had the organics made aware of this they'd realize they were severely unprepared for this fight. The small battalion of soldiers at the walls and in makeshift barricades at the entrance would be overrun in a matter of minutes.

That is, until Moonstone noticed a scythe-wielding huntress suddenly join the front lines in what could only be noted as unfitting combat gear. Pink and white loose pants that made her stick out in a night battle, a black top that left her midriff and arms completely exposed. It was almost if she had just gotten out of her sleep cycle.

The other two beside her were also equally unprepared, though the orange-haired one came with a weapon that was surely appropriate for the oncoming enemy.

"They won't last an hour." Ilia stated, hovering beside him as they watched the militia finish hiding behind their hastily built barricade of poorly dug-in, sharpened wooden spears aimed at the forest. Rifles and turrets were repositioned atop the settlement walls. Although, it seemed as though the guards were leaving various others in their place in the scenario that the infestation decided to encircle the village.

"You think highly of this lot." He replied, examining their defenses thoroughly. "Though I see why you'd think that; the aid of the huntresses will delay the inevitable." Just as he said that, the infestation seemingly burst from the forest, flooding the clearing with black and white, their thundering gallops and screeches echo throughout the settlement as the sounds of cannons and rifles responded to the arrival of the grimm. The orange haired one shot out pink projectiles that blew a great deal of the infestation to pieces, in addition to the blast it seemed as though a mist was expelled from her ammunition as it disoriented the grimm that passed through it. The resulting mess was stunned beos and Ursa attempting to regain their bearing, only to be trampled and crushed beneath the heel of their invasion force.

The turrets were able to wipe out a great deal of the front fodder, cutting them to shreds as the show of effective resistance gave the soldiers in the barricades renewed hope. Though, with each second that passed, turrets had to be reloaded, cannons took longer to fire with each replaced clip having to be brought from the reserves. When this occurred, the huntresses dove into the fray, wiping out a plethora of the infestation before eventually retreating back into the barricades, allowing the guns to fire once again.

It was a system that was oddly enough working, and for the most part; the guards were remarkable in their precision, a feat worthy of commendation, especially in the face of such overwhelming odds.

"Hmm, guess we were wrong, surprisingly…" Ilia mumbled, she glanced at the shouting humans with disinterest as they scurried about, probably in search of more ammunition.

"No…" Moonstone muttered, gaining a cocked eyebrow from the blue gem. "Their fate is sealed." He gestured to the goliaths peering over the treelines, growing ever closer to the settlement. Their thunderous march, mixed in with their sonorous bellows only seeped fear into the hearts of the humans below. Only the huntresses, whom elected to dive into the fray and face the infection head on, were able to maneuver through the hail of gunfire and shells as they seemingly danced through the battlefield slaughtering the infection in a manner that did not impress Moonstone all that much. The efficiency was good, but the theatrics were a bit much. However, the style and precision of the silver-eyed one was a mirror of another he met, long ago. A student, just like her, one that sparred against him, and lost.

"I never understood how these organics have been able to withstand the Grimm all this time…before they discovered dust I mean…" Lazuli rocked herself back and forth, her attention stuck to the front of the Grimm line as a few Ursa managed to reach the barricades and cut down a few guards before they were taken out. "I mean, the humans and faunus are just so…weak." She grumbled, the turrets had eased their fire for reload, the line growing ever closer to the walls. "Do you think they'll ever gain a foothold against the Grimm?" Given how much time he had spent around these beings, she expected some speech over how she was wrong, how resourceful or brave these organics were.

"I don't care."

Never in her life did she expect to hear that. Her head snapped to the Moonstone as he paced his flapping, positioning himself for a nose dive. His face, although still in the form of a hawk, was uncaring and emotionless.

"I have my mission, which is all that matters. Whether they live or die is none of my concern." She wanted to believe there was a hint of hesitation in his words, something in his tone that would contradict his statement.

He spoke with upmost certainty; he cared nothing for the organics around him, the time he had spent killing the Grimm was due to a sense of duty, it was never to protect or out of care for these beings. He genuinely believed that, and without giving Ilia a chance to respond, he dove down towards the horde. Leaving Lazuli to watch as he shapeshifted mid-dive, a ball of white light was seen plummeting down towards the sea of grimm.

* * *

For the young huntress Ruby, this was a severe turn of events she and her team were vaguely prepared for. When the settlement's alarms began to sound off, she and her teammates ran straight for the gates, realizing the amassing of the guards and the rushing citizens meant the threat was closer than expected. And indeed they were; not even five minutes after the guards had set up their defenses, grimm bled out from the abyssal forest, flooding the clearing and approaching Acre with haste.

The resulting gunfire and small skirmish she and her team provided were enough to hold the grimm back and buy the soldiers time. What she wasn't prepared for was the emergence of a goliath, bursting through the trees and bellowing a thunderous war-cry as its march paced slowly into a full on charge. Most of the turrets and cannons were redirected, though it proved little feat as the grimm behemoth continued its tread unabated, crushing other grimm beneath it as it outpaced the horde around it.

This was all happening too fast, these grimm weren't even supposed to be here; the reports claimed they were all culled. And yet, there she stood, holding her ground and firing into the horde as more and more Ursa broke through their lines and began slaughtering the stationed militia. Ren kept his pace and provided as much support as he could on his end, Nora was growing tired from the endless horde she'd been smashing with her hammer, her hyper activeness could only fuel her for so long.

She shouldn't have, and normally she wouldn't, but in that one instance; Ruby lost hope. No one was prepared for this, but how would they have known? Had the rest of her friends been there they might've been able to buy the gunners more time, hell, they'd probably be able to keep the goliath at bay while the gunners picked off the rest. But her team was still locked up, and if…when the grimm overran the settlement, they'd all perish weak and defenseless. No matter how many grimm she cut down, more came flooding past her, killing the soldiers around her. She heard them faintly, their cries and guttural screams as they drowned in pools of their own blood, or were fortunate enough to have died before hitting the ground.

Images of her home flashed before her eyes, her father, her mother, her life before becoming a huntress. In it she fond warmth and comfort, if only for a moment before reality thrusted her back into the battlefield.

Remembering her duties, she took a stance before the goliath, her scythe readied to deliver a series of blows she hoped would either bring the beast to a full stop, or would at least impair it long enough for the turrets to reload and continue their barrage. Before all this was over, she made herself a vow to see this through to the end; to protect the people and all of Remnant, even to her dying breath, just like her mother.

Time seemed to slow with each inch the goliath gained in its approach, Ruby timed her attack readying herself.

Without warning, and just as she was going to launch herself forward, a ball of white crashed down atop the goliath's head, crushing the beast down with enough force to level its head completely, and unearth the terrain around the crash, disorienting the grimm horde in the process. The sudden arrival of the unknown brought the flood of grimm to a complete halt. Many within the barricades and those about to leap over turned their heads to the newcomer. Those closest to the crater growled, slowly backing away as the dust settled and the corpse returned to nothingness. Emerging from the cloud of black, decorated in armor of pure white, wielding an all too familiar sword and shield, Ruby's eyes bulged as she saw a near perfect match of gear both from the painting above Hopp's desk, and the hooded individual she encountered earlier that day. The same one that plagued her thoughts just before slumber took her.

The guards around her watched in awe at the sight they were beholding.

"The Warrior." One man muttered, the rest of the soldiers around him muttering in agreement as the fairy tale they had all grew up with had just come down from the heavens, bringing down a goliath with a single blow.

To the surprise of the huntress, the grimm around her had all focused their attention on the armored warrior, ignoring the settlements and the militia entirely. All at once the grimm charged towards the new arrival, the flood acted as one as the simultaneous attack was sure to take down this warrior. However, what the grimm didn't expect was a wave of energy shot out towards a pack of beos, cutting through them clean and without hindrance.

As the swarm were about to engulf the Warrior, he dove through the opening he'd created and avoided being engulfed by the flood of grimm. Though, it was not the end of it as more of the creatures began to swarm all around. For the huntress it was a sight to behold; because this unknown was slicing through wave after wave of grimm with no apparent intent on stopping.

She watched as every grimm that sought to bring him down were in turn manhandled similarly to how her teammates were handled earlier. Whoever this newcomer was, Ruby was only glad he was on their side, as he seemed to dance through the many grimm, culling their seemingly endless numbers.

"Don't just stand there you idiots!" From atop the walls stood the Mayor, a rifle in hand. "Oum has answered our prayers, but we must show our gratitude; help the Warrior!" And just like that, the soldiers of Acre found renewed vigor as they temporarily put aside fatigue and fear to assist the fabled warrior.

Though, seeing him now, it was fitting to drop the aspect of the Warrior being simply a story. As it stood; he was indeed real.

Ruby and her teammates were still awestruck, mostly Nora and Ren. The two heard countless stories of the Warrior, many of which were said to as old as the founding of the kingdoms. And yet, aside from a few moments where the bubbly bomber wanted to set off on an expedition to find the fabled warrior, neither of them truly believed they'd actually see him, up close for that matter.

Ruby…was more or less simply just in disbelief; yes she whole-heartedly wanted the Warrior to be real. After all, her mother had claimed to have actually met and spent time with the Warrior, or so she often told the young Rose. Not to mention, she had hinted that her mother's mentor had also met and trained with the Warrior. While Ruby had never met her mother's mentor, here before her stood someone who surely must remember her mother. If legends of the Warrior were true, then that meant he'd been around for a long time, and with it came knowledge, possibly from eras long forgotten in time. She was not the only one to think this, but she was of the few to have actually spoken to him.

* * *

Another two goliaths emerged from the forest; one was faster, charging at full speed towards the Moonstone. The second marched closely behind, choosing to allow the goliath ahead to attempt its charge. Thanks to the added support from the turrets and gunners, Moonstone was able to focus primarily on the behemoths. Or he would've had the infection not increased its speed exponentially. For a beast of that size, going that fast was anatomically, and physically impossible. And yet, even for all its strength and size, the gem readied himself, sheathed both his sword and shield, positioning himself to intervene the beast's tread head-on. The shock from the onlookers was evident, more so when the infection finally did clash with the gem.

And yet, aside from dragging the Moonstone a few feet backwards, after managing to regain a foothold, he was able to hold the goliath back by its tusks. It was a feat none of the guards or huntresses would've believed had they not seen it.

For Moonstone, this goliath was nothing close to the other infections he'd faced during his time as a wanderer, though, all he could do at the moment was hold the beast back, as it took all his energy just to keep it in place. It surprised him to have actually been able to stop the creature's rampage, but it also left him unable to move without the risk of the creature continuing its charge as his feet were dug in rather firmly, and he could feel the overgrown beast nudging him forward.

A second bellow drew attention to the east; the second goliath was attempting to flank the preoccupied gem. The guns from the settlement did little to no effect as the stampeding creature drew closer to him.

Within the nick of time, the tail end of a whip slashed at the infection's face, slashing its eye and forcing it to divert its path from the gem to its held back kin. In pain, partially blind, and at full speed the goliath struck against one another, the force of the impact sent the two tumbling down slowly, crushing any grimm within its trajectory. The pained bellows were met with swift beheadings from the Warrior and the winged unknown. Adding to the gunfire from the organics, and the huntresses finally snapping from their stupors, the rest of the infection were easily dispatched, though a fair few managed to retreat with their tails between their legs, the evidence was quite clear; Acre stood to see another winter.

But there was no cheer or cry of victory, for the barricades were littered with empty shells and fallen kin. The settlers, after realizing they had won such an attack, broke down. Few sobbed, others cried silently, the rest mourned for their comrades.

This attack, it was intended to be a blitz, a strike in the dead of night with the intent to wipe out its target without warning. Had they not intervened, it was certain the settlement would've been overrun, and considering it lasted well under half an hour, it showed quite clearly the efficiency between the organics and the gems.

Lazuli approached him, her eyes fixed on the corpses that had yet to dissipate. "So, that was something…albeit short." She huffed, not exactly pleased she didn't get in on the action, having only killed a single goliath and a handful of grimm. Though, she was less than thrilled to lend a hand to the organics, she needed Moonstone's trust, and if his goal was to only cull the grimm, she'd play along this little charade, especially since he himself said he didn't care for these pests.

"…" Moonstone remained quiet, observing the last of the bodies turn to dust as the clearing was now cleansed of the infection. His mind wandered between two questions; why did the infection attack in such few numbers? And where had they come from? The fact that they'd come from the forest meant there was something that allowed them access into his domain.

That wouldn't stand.

He turned his head to Lazuli; her head recoiled lightly as she felt his piercing blue orbs on her. "Thanks for the save." Although monotone, she could hear the gratitude in his tone. A faint coy grin edged on her lips as she rubbed the underside of her nose.

Now that the infection had been purged, Moonstone's attention was focused on the north where the infection flooded from. If by chance there was an opening allowing the infection to seep in, he would have to close the gate, and cull the infection once more.

Taking a glance at his companion, the gem had dawned on a cowl and mask to cover the lower half of her face. It would seem remaining incognito came like second nature for them, especially since neither wanted the attention of organics on them. Although, given their sudden intervention into the infection's invasion, both were sure this story would reach the ears of many in the following days.

"Excuse me."

Lazuli's head snapped towards the source rather quickly, Moonstone's followed suit, though, he was mildly surprised to see a pair of silver eyes staring up at him. Last he saw, she had positioned herself to strike the first rampaging goliath head on. Had he not intervened, there was a slight chance her attack would've done next to nothing.

The huntress approached cautiously, as she quickly realized the two standing in the middle of the bombarded field were indeed dangerous and would be considered 'hyper lethal' by her professor. She had witnessed the white-armored one not only drop from the sky, but decapitate a goliath, cut through swarms of grimm like butter, and stop a stampeding goliath with nothing but his bare hands. His blue companion was not to be overlooked either; her smooth flying and similar use of light when unsheathing or sheathing their weapons left Ruby with a single overwhelming conclusion; the stories were true. The Warrior was real, and she had…her eyes widened as she realized a little detail she had asked Ren to be in charge of before the battle began.

While Ilia's eyes narrowed at the approaching organic, Moonstone's softened, and it unnerved the blue gem to a great degree.

He sheathed his blade and shield, turning his body to face the young huntress. "It seems I was able to see your weapon in action." He commented, his voice a bit muffled by his helmet. "Though you lack proper precision in your ranged attacks, your close-quarters approach is sufficiently proficient." The young huntress was unsure how to respond, partially due to having mixed feelings to his analysis of her fighting style. "Overall…" His voice trialed, unsure if she would even know of the other two silver-eyes organics he met previously. Simply because this one resembled the recent silver-eyed organic he met, it didn't mean the two were in any way related. The only solid reasoning was the similar fighting styles, but that was it.

Ilia placed a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his conversation with the organic. "We need to leave…" She hissed, her eyes gesturing to the approaching villagers. Realizing the predicament they'd be in if they were captured by the organics, Moonstone nodded faintly, turning his back to the huntress once more.

"Wait!" Without thinking, the huntress dove after him, now that she knew he was real, she had to know if he remembered her mother. Within a span of a few seconds she had accidentally tripped and struck against him. The reason behind the fact he was unmoved of fazed by her clumsiness was attributed to his insane strength.

The huntress rebounded off rather hard, falling to the floor unceremoniously.

For Moonstone, this was a familiar scene, eerily so. For Ilia, to see the organic have the audacity to approach them at all; it tempted her to draw her weapon. And she would've, had Moonstone not gestured her to hold back. Though, it didn't mean she would in the future, for now, she preferred not to tempt Moonstone's ire.

"Tend to your wounded and bury your fallen, you survived what should've been your end. Recover, regroup, and walk forward huntress." As he turned his attention towards the forest, wings sprouted once more from the blue one's back. "We will meet again soon, be it in passing or the battlefield." With that ominous promise, his body was enveloped in light once more, shapeshifting into a hawk and taking flight, Lazuli not too far behind this time around.

True enough, for the settlement, the organics stood relatively no chance with the arsenal at their disposal, not to mention the fact that four of the original hunter arrivals were still imprisoned. This small horde, although seemingly endless, had proven too much for the humans to handle. But for the gems; this was nothing. Though, what the two in flight hadn't taken notice was a floating ball of abyssal, ebony tendrils slithering beneath its hovering form as it watched the two powerful individuals dive into the forest to search for more of the infestation.

* * *

**AN: As I'm sure many of you have noticed; my entire RWBY story roster has had Jaune at the forefront of each, being the hero or the anti-hero. If you couldn't tell; I have a favorite. In this one, I decided to make a small change of pace. How? Well, for one thing there will be moments where the blond noodle surfaces, but for the most part it'll be what one would expect a gem from White Diamond's court to behave, albeit with a few surprising twists. I promise you'll either like how I've written him, or complain that there are enough Jaune stories as it is. Regardless, the main characters of the story are the ones tagged, and will play bigger roles as time goes on. Two others who I haven't tagged are Ilia (Lapis Lazuli) and Pearl (oc). While they aren't tagged, they too will play big roles in the coming chapters. **

**Now, as to the other gems and when they'll make their appearances; expect another in the next chapter, and a couple more mentioned later as well. I really gotta work on my other stories too, so while i'm still writing this one, i'll be updating my others firstly. thank you all for taking the time to read this new story. Until next time.**

**Gems:**

**Jaune; Moonstone**

**Ilia: Lapis Lazuli**

**(?); Emerald**


	5. Fond Memories

Sitting comfortably within a secure facility, high above in the floating city of Atlas, sat a green haired woman staring aimlessly at the city below her. Her dwelling was decorated in walls painted the purest cream peach, the floors were polished oak, and literature of countless generations decorated the cases around the room. The window from where she sat was decorated with satin fabric, the softest silk pillows; both were a bloody crimson dye. The streets were occupied solely by marching tins, bots that were relatively useless in the grander battlefield, but served as perfect cannon fodder until the real guns were brought in. Though weak, the populace did not need to know, and the more complacent and docile they were; the better. These creatures had spent their entire existence as nothing more than a rabid beast, gnawing a stubborn gash that refused to bleed out faster. And though she and her company had tried, these pests remained resilient, almost admirably so.

Before, they were primitive, feeble, and akin to cattle. Now, they are much more durable, but the rest remained evident; humanity, and their deformed kin, just would not die. In a way, perhaps that was why _she_ had taken such a liking to them.

A brittle chuckle seethed through her pursed lips. The mere thought that the feeble minded Pink Diamond could see potential and logic in anything was tempting a conversation that could end with fractures on their gems. She'd never say it aloud, but she detested this assignment, she hated the organics below her, and most of all; she hated what had come of their people here. When they arrived, their numbers, although not as prominent as the humans now, were just enough to subdue and eradicate the organics in a matter of months. And yet, her she sat, playing the part of a humble arms dealer, crafting weapons for any willing to buy, mainly the Atlesian military. To her ever increasing ire, in order to keep her hands involved and up to date on whatever transpired amongst these organics and their societies she had to play nice with the one gem she loathed more than the one that deserted not too long ago with a band of bandits.

In the time since she reformed, and the countless more after; she had lost her original green color schemes, having to change herself so as to not arouse suspicion amongst the organics, not like the first time around. She shuddered, to think they had let their guard down for the slightest moment…

Rather than green skin, she was a mocha colored woman, her brilliant forest green orbs were now vibrant crimson, and her once beloved uniform adorned with a transparent sash wrapped across her waist, and a tuff of fur across her neck trim was shifted into whatever the humans found normal these days.

The gems under her command, the ones still left, all had changed to. And while they most definitely would've been shattered for appearing as such horrendous off-colors, their current situation demanded such drastic measures.

*knock* *knock*

Her eyes gave the door a half-hearted gaze before returning to the sight of the city below.

"Enter." She commanded, taking the reins of leadership until their true leader returned. Though, given how much time has passed, she was uncertain of the possibility of ever seeing her old friend.

When the doors opened, she glanced once more, somewhat surprised to see two of her gems entering.

"Garnet, Amethyst." She addressed the two respectively, the two were as well in different color schemes to that of what they were originally assigned to. Though, their choice of attire spoke wonders to their personalities. The Garnet's gem was embedded firmly on the back of their right hand. The Amethyst's was on the back of her left hand.

The two gems stopped a few feet away from her before standing straight and forming a diamond with their hands.

"My Emerald." The two saluted, awaiting her gesture for them to proceed.

However, when she did, she instead decided to take the reins of the conversation, choosing to cover a topic she assumed was the reason for them being here.

"Am I to assume you were successful in your applications to the academy here?" The two gems were caught a bit off guard, but nodded regardless.

"Yes, my Emerald, but-"

"Then it stands to reason that you should be attending to your duties as students; last thing we need is for your alias to rouse suspicion. The council here is on edge as it is, and I need your eyes on the incompetent General." She muttered, her eyes drifting to a building in the distance; the council building, one of the many targets she had in mind should she ever get a hold of a working ship again. "Will there be an issue with two students seemingly missing from their quarters?"

"We've taken care of that ma'am." The Garnet reassured, taking a step forward. "Flynt Coal is visiting his sickly father as we speak, earning him a short leave from classes." Garnet informed, removing his glasses and revealing his maroon colored eyes.

The Amethyst piped up, sliding a bit due to the wheels she had strapped to her feet. "And Neon Katt is accompanying him, as a proper partner should. Though, her leave is not as extended as his so I'll have to return soon." She informed, though, it was hard to pay attention to her as she was covered so many colors it could've given Emerald fractures in her gem. The Garnet was from the same court as her, so she gave him a good amount of leeway when it came to being irritated with acting the role of an organic. However, the Amethysts were one of the few she felt irritation towards, especially this one. Then again, what could she have expected; she was from Pink's court after all. The gem is a mirror of their diamond, or so they say.

"Alright, so then what is your reason for pestering me?" She growled, causing the two to flinch before the Amethyst hastily reached for her scroll and searched for an article she had stumbled upon earlier.

"There's a news article floating around the academy, and as far as we know, it's expected to be played on the city's main informational broadcast later tonight." She spoke hastily, growing ever nervous as her explanation only seemed to infuriate the crimson-eyed gem before her. "A-a-a-and, y-y-y-you s-s-s…" She couldn't, the Emerald was reaching slowly for her right shoulder were her gem was, and also her excoriatingly painful weapon.

The Garnet took a step forward, placing his body in front of her as he took the scroll and brought up an image of a winged blue woman whipping a goliath clear across the face.

Seeing the image, Emerald's hand drifted away from her gem, though her annoyed expression only grew darker as she realized how careless the Lazuli had become. This was a cleanup she'd either have to address herself…or….

"Agate." She called to the gem sitting comfortably beside a fireplace in the room, reading a book quietly to herself. Like the others, the gem had shifted her color schemes to look nothing like what she originally emerged as, however, it didn't take away the brutality her cut was known for. And yet, a single glance at this particular gem, and none would be able to predict the amount of punishment she could dish out.

"Yes, my Emerald." She responded, placing a bookmark in the page she had been reading, and putting the literature aside.

"It would seem the Lazuli is running amuck, you and Garnet will go and retrieve her before she draws anymore unwanted attention. And be quick about it." Just as the Agate nodded and was about to approach her partnered gem, the Amethyst found an ounce of vigor as she spoke out.

"That's not all ma'am." Though, what little there was began crumbling fast. Knowing this, Garnet ventured through the device before landing on an image he was sure would be of great interest to their leader.

Upon seeing the image, Emerald had stood up in such haste; Amethyst nearly lost a grip on her scroll. Agate as well was wide-eyed at the reveal. Although slightly blurred, one could still make out the figure of a man, armored in pure white armor, sleek, and sturdy, if the fact that he was in the midst of a horde of grimm was of any indication. Though, what caught the eye of those present was the insignia on his armor's back; a white diamond.

"She found her Moonstone, ma'am." Garnet relayed, though he very much doubted the gem was listening as she continued to stare at the image, her mind had seemingly drowned out the rest of the world as she was unable to avert her eyes from that familiar figure.

"Have you contacted Lazuli?" Agate asked, finding her voice not too long after recovering from shock.

"We tried reaching her through her scroll, however, Tiger's Eye answered. It seems Lazuli received a tip and chose to pursue it on her own. Which means as of now we have no way to contact her, nor do we have any way to determine where she and Moonstone will pop up again." Garnet's words seemed to break Emerald from her trance.

She steeled herself, her eyes narrowed at the two gems before her, causing them to flinch as her regular attitude returned faster than they expected. "Both of you take this to the Peridot and have her track any and all source of media. If Moonstone or Lazuli appear anywhere else, the very least the pebble can do is track their trajectory for an intercept." The two gems stood straight and saluted their leader. Emerald's attention shifted to Agate, the mentioned gem saluted her leader as well, waiting for her leader to assign her an assignment. "Agate, what is the status of your alias?"

"Ciel Soleil is currently on shore leave from her squad; maternity leave." She stated, though, she appeared confused when she saw the owlish looks her fellow gems were giving her. "…?"

"…do…do you know what that means?" Garnet asked, both his and Amethyst's eyes glanced to the Agate's stomach.

Agate shrugged. "In the military handbook, maternity/paternity leave is one of few instances a soldier is allowed a moments rest from their duties."

Amethyst chuckled wickedly, clearly in on some joke that eluded the Agate. "A moment's rest." She sarcastically jabbed, shivering not long after as she felt the piercing gaze of her Emerald on her.

"Regardless, Agate will be on standby, as soon as we are aware of Lazuli's current whereabouts she and doctor Polendina's latest creation will be sent on retrieval, I expect Peridot to keep track of anything of interest in the area, communication listings, sightings, hunter reports." As she listed those off, she received a confused gaze from her subordinates.

"Ma'am, are we not going after Moonstone ourselves?" Garnet asked a legitimate question, after all, they'd been searching for the last five thousand years, to have evidence that their leader was still alive renewed their hopes of returning to their home.

"I am not sending any of you on some blind chase across a continent. Lazuli might be incompetent, but she at least has the common sense to find a way to contact us. And when she does, Agate will intercept and recover our leader. The two of you will deliver the information to Peridot and return to your posts. Is that understood?" In response, the gems saluted her, and with a wave of her hand, they left to perform their duties. Though…

"My Emerald?" She heard the door close not long after, so she knew they'd be alone for the following conversation. Turning her head towards her Agate, who had removed a hideous blue beret she constantly wore. The lack of such an assortment revealed her gem resting peacefully on her forehead. The only reason her gem placement did not raise suspicion was, conveniently, due to a culture in Mistral where many organics would embed gems unto their bodies, for some odd reason. Though, most were in gold or silver jewelry, few actually stuck gems to their actual bodies. For whatever morbid reason. It made her shutter each time she thought of it.

"Speak."

"Ma'am, when Moonstone returns…you know what it'll mean, right?" Her tone carried with it a sense of worry, though her face remained unchanging. "You will have to step down, homeworld protocol dictates the highest ranking gem, in the event of severed communication from the authority, will be the head of whatever gems are in the vicinity. And this whole time we've been acting outside the standard protocols put in place by our diamonds."

In response, Emerald sighed. "Yea, I know. But I have faith Moonstone will see the logic in what we've been doing, all that we've done; there is no denying we do what is best for homeworld. But, without the access codes; we remain severely limited in our endeavors…" Her eyes shifted towards the night sky, mainly, the shattered moon in orbit. "And if there is anything to be salvaged, we can finally fulfill our assignment…and after that…." Her eyes softened as she began to recall images of perfectly sculpted structures, fleets of ships flying ever forward to expand their empire, and the eyes of their leaders fixed on the ever expanding horizon yearning for their superiority to grace the universe with their perfection. "…maybe we'll see home again."

Without a single word left to say, the Agate saluted once more before leaving to the airfield for her departure. As for Emerald, she half expected the Peridot to barge in and demand clarification for the claims that Moonstone had been found; another half of her wondered to whom these gems would show their true loyalty for. For that matter, it unnerved her to think of what would happen if Moonstone didn't agree with what she'd done. Make no mistake; she was well aware the war hero had a way of thinking that left many in the diamond courts to feel…less than at ease. But, serving alongside her old friend for the better half of three thousand years of warfare, she had high hopes that logic, reasoning, and, if luck was on her side, personal history would win through. Now, all she could do was wait and thank the stars her friend had finally been found after so long.

* * *

**6500 years prior-**

A scouting mission for a mudball that held no significant promise other than it was a suitable colony for gem production. Its resources were plentiful, and the organics were…barbaric, to say the least. If there was something else to describe a more primitive race, she would give it to these creatures. She wanted to badly to deny the mission, to beg for a different assignment. However, it was not a request, and her diamond's orders were absolute. Perhaps the only saving grace in all this was the company aboard her ship. Of the many gems paired with her since her emergence, few she grew to tolerate, and if one would ask Emerald that she would take a liking to a Moonstone from the Expansion era, she would scoff and walk away with no intention of entertaining such delusions. And yet…

'Emerald." As she stood aboard the bridge, surrounded by her Nephrite crew, the one saving grace to appease her boredom had come to chat. When she turned to give the gem her attention, Emerald's expression almost soured at the sight. It was one thing for Moonstone to come see her, but to bring along the Pearl was another.

The only good thing about her was that she knew her place; a good distance from the two leading gems. The Pearl was an odd one, for the most part; her skin was a creamy peach tone, a slightly puffier bob haircut, in no way similar to the green gem's. A small tuff of hair covered her left eye, with streaks of light grey to accompany the dark brown hue with two prominent strands of grey parallel to one another at the side of her face. Her outfit was what one would expect from a pearl; a dark grey undersuit that covered her chest, albeit leaving a v-shaped neckline, and covering just a bit before reaching her upper thighs with a dark silver leotard. A dark grey belt across her waist holding a transparent skirt in place, and although the skirt itself was not even past her thighs, it was prominently displayed in accordance to the court she was made to serve. To complete the ensemble, she wore gloves in similar color to her leotard, leaving only her thumb, pointer, and pinky fingers exposed. The reason she made a mental note towards the gloves was due to the similarities it shared with Moonstone's. Actually, given another moment to look her over, it was almost as if the Pearl was intending to dress exactly like her Moonstone. And Emerald knew for a fact this was not how the Pearl looked when she'd been given to her friend. The sight of this Pearl, how she seemingly always accompanied her charge like Rubies to a Jasper was unnerving. And irritating. Though, the hair and skin colors were altered as a means for their current assignment, and Emerald by no means intended to partake in their tread.

"Moonstone." She attempted a greeting that wasn't followed with some snarky remark against the eyesore behind them. "I hope you slept well."

"No thanks to your driving, yes." The Moonstone replied, taking a spot next to Emerald as they both inspected the planet before them. She lightly nudged him for that remark, smirking lightly as the two gazed at the celestial body that would soon become a colony. It was not so remarkable this time around, though, the fact that they'd been paired for this little misadventure was well worth being sent to the fringes of the empire.

The Moonstone was wearing the standard uniform for what this particular vein wore during the expansion. A dark grey undersuit that exposed a similarly colored skin to the pearl and the creatures below they were tasked to scout. The undersuit had parallel cut ends from the upper side of Moonstone's waist and down to the upper thighs, the area a few gems referred to as 'thiccness' or so Emerald had heard. It was an odd phrase, but it came from the bulkier gems, such as the Jaspers and Amethysts so she elected to ignore the baseless dribble.

Still, for some odd reason it was always the first thing that caught her eye when she saw her friend.

The Moonstone's legs were covered in complete shade of light grey, save for a single streak of dark grey just below the kneecaps, with a white diamond insignia etched unto the knees. The gemstone sat prominently on her friend's chest, with a grey corset just barely reaching the abdomen, and elongated pauldrons to signify the ranking of this particular gem.

"You look good." Emerald teased, watching as her friend eyed her with a tired expression before lightly sighing at the task they'd have to undertake here.

"I feel ridiculous. This whole scouting mission is a waste of time, we've already determined the primitives here lack any formidable form of resistance, and the planet itself is adequate for colonization…or at least it will be, given a few more centuries to mature." Though true, it seemed as though her friend was out of the loop, for once, which gave Emerald a sense of glee, and a tangent of worry.

"That's because neither Yellow nor Blue will be the charge of this colony, rumor has it; Pink will be gifted this planet, given the right time of course." The revelation sparked a slightly wide-eyed reaction, followed by a furrowed brow from Moonstone.

"I see, her first colony then. So that means we're here to scout and report any dangers to that could befall the future charge of this world."

"Exactly…you know, if it bothers you so much I could come with you." Emerald's tone was vaguely hopeful, a small tint of dark green appeared on her cheeks. "It's been a while since you and I have been on a mission together, and we don't know completely what's down there. It'd be nice to fight alongside you again, like the good ol' days." Her Nephrites all kept their attentions on their screens, holding back both jeers and snickers as their captain offered her companionship to a long-time friend. Though, there was always one constant, annoying obstacle, one they all waited for each time. The bets were always on whether the Moonstone would side with Emerald or _her_.

"That will not be necessary, captain." The voice came from behind the two, the tint of green vanished quickly as a look of irritation etched itself on her face. "While your companionship would most definitely be _welcomed_; you and my Moonstone are the leading heads of this scouting mission, protocol dictates when one commanding officer is on the ground, there must at least be one other on the sidelines to direct communications and provide logistical support." The Pearl had memorized the updated military protocols to a tee, much to the Emerald's annoyance. And as it came to be, Moonstone agreed.

"She's right, and the last thing I want to see is you being berated for not being at your post. I thank you for worrying for me, but Pearl and I should be fine for the most part." Moonstone's words, although genuine and with a faint ounce of care, were absolute, given their rank was higher than Emerald's. As her friend turned to depart, the dejected captain could only watch as her friend made way for the docking bay for a specialized roaming eye. Though she wanted to argue, Emerald knew how strictly the authority, in particular her diamond, valued protocol.

She eyed the two as they left, with Pearl following soon after her Moonstone had exited. She shot captain a single gaze before a smug expression crossed her lips, and to top it all off she stuck out a taunting tongue to irritate the Emerald; which it did.

How she hated that damned Pearl, how she loathed the assignments she'd been given that involved having to be around her, and most painful of them all; was seeing how peaceful and content her usually emotionless friend appeared when his Pearl was by his side. And it was for that reason she dared not report the Pearl's unique behavior to the diamonds. For as much as she detested the sassing nature of that lower class gem, seeing the eased mind of her friend was what she longed to see after having to recover him…only him, every time, from the missions the diamonds gave his vein during the Expansion.

There was only ever one time she feared she would be recovering his shards; it was the day he threw down his weapon and refused to fight, the one and only time he was poofed; he showed no pain or regret. No, the expression she saw was one that would forever ache at her core.

He was at peace.

* * *

**Present day, Midday, Ansel-**

The small town of Ansel was, to the slight discomfort of the two traveling gems, bustling with fanfare and gossip after news seemingly spread from Acre in the span of a few hours. The gems that sat by a window inside a tavern were shrouded with cowls, though they appeared to have the right color schemes for human forms, the fact that there were images and videos circulating over the appearance of the Warrior in Acre's time of need only served to bolster the people's desire to celebrate.

"People here are pretty lively." Ilia's comment, although unnecessary, was a good play in feigning ignorance. It only took them an hour's flight from Acre to Ansel, though; between the two settlements was nothing to suggest an opening for the infection to pour in from. "Last time I was here, place was nothing more than a few shackle homes and bucket for pissing around the corner. Now look; Ansel is a bustling village." One thing Moonstone made a mental note of was Lazuli's shift in regards to the organics; she detested the hunters and military, though, she was softer on the lesser ones, the ones that weren't meant for fighting.

In an attempt to blend in, they had found an Inn and stayed the night sitting in a room, neither had much to say, though, it seemed Lazuli did partake in some of the rituals the organics practiced, one being sleeping. And the other…

Well, it was one thing to see her quiet and reserved, it was another for them to enter a tavern and watch her…consume a hearty serving of supplements. From a roasted carcass, to a fermented sweetened drink the denizens of this village were fond of; it was all so surreal to see. Moonstone had never once consumed a thing, he never felt the need to, and it all seemed pointless if there was no purpose for consumption. And yet, watching the Lazuli happily chomp down on the supplements served to her. When the 'food' had been served, it appeared as though it would be enough for two, yet this gem managed to scarf down two thirds of it as they were supposed to listen in on any gossip regarding what these organics knew of strange activity regarding the infection.

However, what was on the minds of those around them was the young girl inhaling a serving meant for two.

"How long ago was that?" Though the two had relatively no dialogue since their temporary team up, Moonstone was not opposed to conversing.

Ilia had taken a small break from her meal to think it over before shrugging an answer. "Thirty, maybe forty, years." She took a good long swig from a flagon, the contents of the liquid that did not reach her mouth dripped at the corners of her mouth. With a satisfied gasp, Lazuli wiped away whatever spilt liquid was on her lips before sporting a huge grin at the stoic Moonstone. "Ya know, you could try some. It's not necessarily bad for us, and it's one of the few pleasures we get to actually enjoy." She offered her flagon to him, though; he appeared less than inclined to indulge in these rituals.

"What is the purpose?"

"There is none, it's recreational, for us at least; it's just a means to enjoy ourselves." She seemed to have adapted well, integrating into the seams of the organic's society appeared second nature to her. Although, he could do without having to see her so messily devour the roasted carcass.

Regardless of him rejecting her offer for a drink, she continued to indulge herself, enjoying herself rather calmly, as if their images weren't circulating the globe, and possibly millions would see two individuals not only take on the infection, but to witness the armored one stop the goliath dead in its tracks with nothing but his own strength. The only calming notion was that the organics were keeping their eyes peeled for what they see in the photographs taken. Unaware that what they seek can shapeshift into a plethora of options.

"You know…" Moonstone glanced over to Lazuli, the gem had taken a moment to gaze out the window to watch the people pass by. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here…" She took a glance at the contents in her flagon, holding a nostalgic smile curved on her lips. "Glad to know old Sven actually passed down his recipe for mead…rest in peace you damned bastard." She took one final swig, downing the remaining contents.

"You seem to hold some fond memories, despite the fact you've been rather vocal of your distaste for these organics." Moonstone's comment caught her off guard, though; it held with it a kernel of truth. Her expression shifted to one of anger, then to sorrow.

"I don't despise the humans, nor do I adore them…everything I've done up until now served the purpose of finding a way home…but sometimes there are moments when I was at my lowest; help came to me from a place I never fathomed possible." It was an odd thing, to see the Lazuli act so carefree one moment and then sagely in another. Whatever experience she had gone through molded her from whatever she was meant to act like, and produced this bundled up mess that continued to confuse, and intrigue.

"Hmm, another thing; where did you get the name Ilia?"

"What?"

"Ilia, you said humans called you that, why?"

The gem gestured to her gem, which confused him for a moment before she chose to clarify. "Vein-1lA; I just added the 'I' in between the 'L' and 'A'. Simple, but it's served me pretty well for a while now…you know, since we have to remain incognito, you could change yours too." Before even giving him a chance to reply or reject her suggestion, she spoke up first. "Let's see, Vein-J.0.N…well, that's pretty sodding obvious; John is a nice name. Though, it needs to fit in with the current climate right now." Her rambling was getting on his nerves, particularly since she wasn't giving him much chance to counter her ideas. "…hmmmmmmm, a name that's also a colo…" An idea popped into her head, a solemn one, a mentioned name from time long past. "Jaune." Moonstone finally found a chance to interject, though, the loss of light from his companion' eyes unnerved him. The name she settled on wasn't bad, but there was history to that designation that he knew Lazuli would not indulge him in. "Yea, I think Jaune would be a good alias for you." She didn't seem to ask whether or not he wished to be called by it, and frankly, he didn't; however, given their situation; calling him Moonstone would be a mouthful, especially in combat. In reality, he could've asked her to shorten his name to Moon…but, it didn't feel right. At the very least, she wasn't the one who was supposed to be calling him that. It felt too personal…too tender…

Pushing aside the onset of emotions he had no intention of confronting at the moment, Moonstone relented, nodding faintly as he sighed lightly. "I suppose there is logic in that, it would serve well to have precaution when around these organics, their fear and temperament is easily triggered."

His comment in some way forced a dry chuckle from the Lazuli, hearing her muttering something along the lines of 'you have no idea'.

"Alright then, as long as we are around the organics, refer to me as Jaune." Moonstone wanted to argue, but for the first time in a long while, had neither the care nor strength to argue. In all honesty, the moment as it was now, peaceful and carefree was a change he was content with.

"Ilia?" And whatever form of peace was so easily thrown out the window as Lazuli seemingly froze in place with widened eyes. In her last swig of mead, her cowl had fallen off, exposing her face to the denizens of the tavern. Jaune thought nothing of it; she looked normal; as normal as one can be in this place. Though, from what he could see, there was fear in the blue gem's eyes. It wasn't her name that struck her, but the voice that called out to her.

Slowly, the girl turned her head towards the source, the image of the girl she remembered was replaced with that of a woman well into her age, yet still appeared youthful to a degree. A reminder dawned on Lazuli rather bluntly; the organics weren't like them, they aged. And it showed in the face of the girl she held fond memories for. There were the marks of crow's feet, albeit lightly, and her once brilliant blonde hair had lost its once golden tint, replaced by a blend of white and yellow.

Behind her was a sight to behold, seven youths, all with differentiating traits and appearances, though, the few features they all seemingly shared were their blonde hair and ocean blue eyes.

* * *

**AN:**

**Did I say another gem?...yea, I lied, here's six, with more still waiting to make their appearance. Somebody stop me I can't stop writing for this story, and I REALLY need to update my other ones. In all fairness, i actually had this one over halfway done, and the beginning part was meant to be the last scene for the previous chapter but i felt it was too long and decided to move it here. Now, I feel as though I need to point this out; yes this takes place in the SU universe, however, aside from brief appearances in flashbacks; the gems on Remnant will be solely on their own...for the most part. In the coming chapters expect some conversation and a bit of drama before action starts back up again. And this time i WILL update my other stories before i update this one again. Thank you all for reading. until next time. **

**Responses:**

**The-lost-memories6; ….I knew I forgot something. Not gonna lie, I wasn't thinking of pairings when I made this, hell I just wanted to explore a universe (hehe) like this, write it down, and share with you all. But if I were to make any pairings…first I'd have to plan out interactions, who would be a good fit for one another, and how it'll fit into the story…or I can just pair for fun. Lemme think it over and I'll give you all a definitive answer. **

**Forsaken Dragon of the Void;…I agree whole-heartedly.**

**Nagisa Tr: Yeesh, aren't we friendly. As I said, some gems will be pretty obvious, so yes, Emerald is…an Emerald. Honestly I feel like that was too on the nose, but truth he told; I think it would've been a sin not to make her a gem. At least in my opinion.**

**ZenithTempest: I've more than found my muse, I was literally in the middle of trying to update my stories when I paused to watch the movie…and before you know it, this idea began festering in my head. Also, that idea of hunstmen being used as instruments has given me a lot more to work with. For that I thank you. **

**Hirshja; I agree, under normal circumstances, aside from Yang, none of the other three would've acted so brashly, but given that a team member and close friend had recently been lost due to hesitation and carelessness; rational thought tends to be thrown aside. **

**Majin Othinus; Yea, most stories that have Yang as overprotective really rub me the wrong way, especially those that have her go on a rampage and never punish her for her outburst; it's played off as understandable and played off as some kind of quirk. You will not see that here, I assure you. As for Better Left Alone, I'm gonna be honest, I haven't touched the drafts for a while now, I am trying to finish a few chapters, five or six at least, and see if I can get my muse back into that story. **

**Gems thus far;**

**Jaune; Moonstone**

**(?); Pearl**

**Ilia; Lapis Lazuli**

**Emerald; Emerald**

**Flynt; Garnet**

**Neon; Amethyst**

**Ciel; Agate**

**(?); Nephrite**

**(?); Tiger's Eye**

**(?); Peridot**


	6. First Impressions

Aside from the loud chatter around them, one particular table remained quiet within a small tavern in Ansel. On one side were four blonde haired women, three of which were well into their late-teens to mid-twenties. The three of them were openly nervous as they eyed their fourth who was sporting a neutral expression; all the while her eyes were fixated on the individual across from her.

If there was one thing Lazuli tended to avoid in all her time alive; it was intentionally running into exes, circumstances be damned. And yet, in her own celebration to finding her leader, and managing to stick by his side so that he didn't pull a disappearing act, she had let her guard down, and now she sat in a literal hot seat as she could feel her old fling attempting to spark up the wooden stool she sat on. Beside her was one of the youths that came in with her, to her left was her Moonstone, who was more preoccupied with the menu given to him by the waitress. For a gem who found the idea of consumption to serve no purpose, he still seemed intrigued by it. Beside him was another youth, and sitting at the edge of the table closest to Moonstone was a blonde girl possibly around the same age as what they appeared to be. What caught the gem's attention about this particular blonde was the fact that she was seated in a wheelchair, her left leg missing, and claw marks making up most of her right leg and arm. Not to mention, there was an infant on her lap that stuck out rather noticeably within this small mess of yellow hair and light skin. Rather, this one had slightly darker skin, brown hair, and light brown eyes. Though appearing nothing like the women he was with, the infant was held tightly within the grasp of the scarred blonde one.

All eyes, save for Moonstone's, were on the Lazuli and the blonde woman sitting across from her.

As if to only further the tension, a waitress arrived and placed a pot between the two former lovers, as well as two small cups in front of the two respectfully.

"So…" Her voice caused Ilia to shudder if only for a moment, as she made no indication she would give the blonde the eye contact she was vying for. "Thirty-three years." She kept count, there was something to be said about that, but Lazuli kept her mouth shut for the most part. "And in all that time; you never bothered to so much as write." Her tone sent chills down everyone's spines, and it showed with the ever increasing nervousness shared amongst those at the table. The only one unaffected by her threatening aura was the blond boy sitting beside Ilia, emotionless, as he had been since she and her little ones arrived. He'd removed his cowl, partially, revealing his facial features, though choosing to keep the back part of his head covered.

He caught her eye, no doubt, but questions regarding him would have to wait. Rather, she took the liberty of pouring herself a cup of tea from the pot sitting idly between them. Once she had taken a small sip, her eyes narrowed at the youthful woman she once called her lover, eyes brimming with anger. "And now that I see you; it would appear as if time has been kind to you, seeing as you don't look a day older than when we first met." She was seething; the girls around her were visibly trembling with each second the woman's aura flared up.

"Interesting." If only for just a mere moment, the attention had shifted to the boy, his sudden commentary managed to both confuse, and slightly defuse the blonde woman's ire. "It seems as though there is more than one way to prepare a carcass…but what is the purpose?" He muttered that last bit, eyeing the menu further as he red through the descriptions of each dish.

The girls around the table eyed him with confused expressions; while Ilia was partially thankful his comment distracted the woman in front of her, if only for a fleeting moment. "So…" She nearly flinched when the woman's eyes snapped right back to her. "I see you've been busy." Ilia eyed each of the girls respectively, many of them sharing more similarities to their mother.

"I have, raising a family is a full-time endeavor. Raising seven daughters has been a taxing job, but I wouldn't trade away a moment of it." Her words gave rise to small smiles from the girls around her. So it seemed these were her offspring, and to have seven of them as well…meh, Jaune remembered when most families had an average of fifteen, that was when life expectancy was much shorter than it was now, not to mention, many never even reached adulthood. As of recent, the common number of offspring produced was two or three, so to see eight would indeed be a rarity and surprise.

"Congrats, and who's the father?" Ilia's question was strained, she appeared more intent on distracting the woman with this topic rather than confront the reasoning for their time apart.

"Reiner."

"Gerard's boy?" Ilia's brows raised at the image of a scraggily human she remembered from her time in Ansel.

The woman chuckled, taking another sip of her tea as she gave Lazuli a coy grin. "Not so much a 'boy' anymore." She was hinting at something, and judging by the disgusted expressions and groans from the girls around her, Jaune could only assume it was a human subject that would only confuse him. "Speaking of…" Her eyes glanced over once more to the blond Ilia was found with. "Who might you be?"

Jaune, rather than spare an eye her way, chose to focus his attention on the menu, seeing as there wasn't much he had to do in the midst of all this. In actuality, he could easily just up and walk away, this was Ilia's problem…though, he couldn't deny the slight enjoyment he got out of watching this whole thing play out.

"Jaune." He spoke his name, short and simple. At least that's what it should've been, if he'd been paying attention to the woman in front of him, he would've seen her expression shift from mild surprise, to faint sorrow.

"That's a nice name." The woman commented, lamenting over something Jaune was unaware of, nor did he seem to care too much to inquire over it.

"I suppose." He responded nonchalantly, gesturing to Ilia. "She gave it to me." The aforementioned girl felt as if she should strangle the blond moron as the narrowed eyes of her former lover were now fixed intently on her.

"Wait, she gave it to you?" One of the eldest of the blonde youths asked, now the attention of the older one's offsprings were fixed on Jaune. Not to mention, the infant was staring at him rather intently now, as if wary or suspicious of the gem.

He nodded. Which again was enough to draw the woman's attention back to him and away from Ilia. "I see. So then tell me, Jaune, what were you doing before you met Ilia?"

Though no longer reading, or even paying attention to the menu, the blond held on to the façade in the hopes that he wouldn't be called upon for conversation; it did not work. Still, in an attempt to give his companion time to think of some form of escape plan for them, he would indulge this woman. If only for the moment, after all… "I was sitting on a rooftop, watching the moon." He wasn't exactly lying, per se.

His response was not what the mother of seven wanted to hear, primarily since for some odd reason her motherly instincts kept nudging her towards him the longer she peered into his seemingly cold and empty eyes. "No, sweetie, were you always with Ilia, or did you just start traveling with her?"

One of his eyebrows arched. "I only met her last night, before that; I hunted the infection."

That sparked a great deal of curiosity from the family of humans around him. As for Lazuli, she listened with an increasing headache encroaching as she couldn't think of a good excuse to just walk out and leave the town without having an angry set of blondes hot in their tails. Or rather, just one, with the others only doing so for the sake of not invoking their mother's ire.

"Infection?" The scarred one asked, her hands kept a firm grasp on the now squirming infant in her arms.

"The creatures you call grimm." He clarified, now eyeing the young infant with curiosity as it was attempting to break free from the arms of the girl holding him, succeeding for a moment before being firmly kept back in place.

"Why would you call them infections?" The scarred one spoke up again, reaffirming her hold on the child before staring curiously at him.

"Because they are a disease that must be culled, it is my duty to seek the infection's source, and rid this world of its blight." He worded the only thing he knew as an absolute about himself; his duty was to purge the creatures, what would occur after he did not know, but after five thousand years, and with the infection ever growing in numbers, it didn't appear as though he had been performing his duty to the fullest. "It is my purpose."

"…wow, haven't heard that outside of church, from a hunter no less." One of the sisters remarked sarcastically. The grin etched on her lips indicated her comment was a joke, though, Jaune was less than inclined to be looked down upon by these organics.

…Lazuli's influence was seeping its way in much more than he had originally assumed.

"I am not a hunter." He hated being referred to as one, considering the best produced warriors these humans produced were given the title hunters, and himself was not human; being referred to as one felt inappropriate, and oddly enough, degrading. "I am…" But then, what was he? A soldier? It would make sense, but there was something missing. Small flashes, momentary visions of others like him; emerging, marching, charging…and dying. An endless cycle, with his survival being the only irregularity. Many faces, none he knew, but all of them looked to him with admiration, respect, kinship, and sorrow. He might not know what he was, or what his erratic memories were trying to decipher; all he knew was to fight…and perhaps that was what his purpose was. He was…is "…a soldier." Whatever the title, he wouldn't deny the basic fact that he was a soldier, fighting ever to his last breath.

The looks he received from the girls around him were that of shock, then pity. The woman, their mother, stared at him with a sorrowful expression. And it infuriated him.

"You're so young…" She commented, his appearance gave the indication he was around the same age as one of her younger daughters, specifically; the one holding the infant.

"…perhaps…though, by your people's standards I wouldn't-" A hand was clasped over Moonstone's mouth as Ilia had stood up rather rapidly and hoisted him to his as well.

"Wellnowwouldyoulookatthetimeitwasgreatseeingyouagainokbye!" Ilia was attempting to drag him out of the tavern, however, the comparison of their strength greatly showed; she was lacking oh so much. It came to a point where the gem was straining to drag him from the spot he remained firmly planted on.

"Ilia." The blue gem's eyes snapped open as she was now being stared down upon by the woman who used to be of a similar height to her. She was smiling at her, though, even the gem she clung to whom rarely ever showed emotion, could easily tell; there was a beast brewing beneath her kind expression. "We are not finished."

* * *

-**Atlas-**

Emerald was anxious, she had been pacing back and forth, awaiting any form of news from the Peridot; nothing. Not one shred of news or sightings of the two renegade gems in the Diamont forest. And the media was still abuzz with the story they were running; two unknown individuals' halt charging goliaths dead in their tracks. And in a rare moment; the media was not exaggerating their title; the interceptors did indeed stop the grimm in their tracks, kept the human settlement from falling, and yet, there were no further reported sightings of the two unknowns since they departed soon after the grimm were eradicated.

To make matters worse, her recall order of her doctor Polendina's creation had stirred the military branch rather violently, and none was more vocal than the pompous, self-righteous eye-sore of a Generald. It was only a few hours since the order was issued; it surprised her that the reaction took this long. Their contract came into question, though, given the limited suppliers, and the lackluster condition of competing arm's dealer's arsenal; her company was the Military's preferred partner in terms of dealings with weapons and technology.

Of course, many of what Atlas believed to be its own was in actuality on loan, a little fine print and insurance for peace of mind. Perhaps she stepped a bit too far on the General's patience, but time was of the essence, and Emerald would not allow her friend to slip from Lazuli's hands. The only saving grace to all this was her decision to send Agate and the android after her friend. She was certain the Agate would teach the Lazuli a thing or two, and she was sure her old friend would soon join her in the days to come.

"_Sir, you cannot go in there, you aren't allowed!"_ A muffled screech, one that could only belong to…

Emerald felt a headache coming, her fingers pressed against the bridge of her nose as she guessed it was either a representative, or a pompous windbag here to spoil what should be a moment of joy. To calm her nerves, Emerald chose to prepare herself with something that has kept her from openly lashing out at less than tolerable company. Near the fireplace, sitting atop a wooden stand was a glass container with deep red liquid inside.

One of the few sins she indulged in was this beautiful concoction the humans referred to as wine. A liquid commonly associated with one of higher standing, and had there been other gems around she would've poured a second glass. However, given the nature of what was to come, Emerald had no intention of approaching this human without having something of pleasure to ease her irritation.

Just as the glass she poured was halfway, the doors to her room slammed open, her composure did not change in the slightest, she turned calmly to face her guests. To her mild surprise; the General's pet was standing beside him, equally as crossed as her superior.

Behind them was a frantic woman slightly smaller than the General's second hand, rushing in past the giant of a human. She wore a white lab coat, as did most of the staff under her. Beneath was a jumpsuit of sorts, most often assumed was the uniform of the employees here. Seeing it as one of the best ways to avoid suspicion, the staff at this facility did indeed wear jumpsuit-like uniforms, though, the woman that had entered had lime colored hair tied into a bun, small strands fell freely at the sides of her face, and her skin had a slightly lighter tone to that of Emerald's. This one wore an eyepatch over her left eye, though if one looked close enough; they'd be able to see the outline of a vertical lozenge-shaped object in place of her eye.

"Ma'am, I tried to stop him but-" Emerald silence her with only a single hand in the air. Though, her back was turned to the General, and she refused to face him until she at least down half of the contents in her glass.

She drank it all. So she served herself another glass, a full one this time. When finished, she turned her attention to the General, the form she had taken was of what these pests would akin to a youngling. A loathing thought, but an advantageous one; these pests tend to underestimate her if they assumed she was younger than she appeared. Their stupidity was why she stood tall amongst them all.

"…and you are?" Knowing full well who she was speaking to, Emerald chose to walk a condescending road; fitting for ones who assume they are above when in reality they are equally dispensable.

The man steeled himself before standing straighter and glaring at the teen in front of him indulging in a drink she was not legally allowed to partake in. Though, considering where he stood, Ironwood chose to be civil.

"General James Ironwood, Atlas Military. I take it you're the head of this company?" His question came off more as a demand, irritating Emerald, but not enough for her to outwardly show.

She took a small sip of wine before turning her attention back to her window, pacing ever so slowly towards it as she gazed at the city below her.

"I do hope you have an appropriate reason for bursting into my office, General." She would try to play civil as well, mostly to keep herself from driving away a potential pawn.

The General, rather than respond, slams a set of sheets down unto the table between the two, the anger in his eyes had simmered down, though, one could still detect ire in his expression. "I demand an explanation for this." She didn't need to see the files; Emerald knew exactly why he was here. Her facial expression remained stoic, only her eyes spared a faint glance before closing shut with a mindful hum.

"Peridot, I thought I asked for everything to be digital." Her words were aimed at the gem fixing her patch to better cover her gem.

"Everything we've sent out is digital ma'am." She stated factually, keeping her eyes fixed on her fellow gems.

"I see…" Emerald's eyes shifted back to Ironwood, a barely noticeable smile creeped unto her lips. "Needlessly killing trees now, are we, General?"

His response was a less than amused glare, his little pet shared a similar expression. Just as she expected; the white-haired girl was either vying for a higher position or she was a pearl to its charge. Oh how the mere thought gave way to a surge of anger and annoyance. Regardless, Emerald wordlessly activated a green holo panel on her desk, displaying three screens of lettering for the General.

"Peridot." She gestured the gem to take the reins, turning her back to whatever conversation the two would hold. And perhaps best she did, as the aforementioned gem gave her leader a half-hearted glare before facing the General.

"The contract between Atlas' military and Gemtech is as follows; weapons and armaments sold to the military are exchanged property once a transaction has been made. However, property on loan is a privilege extended to the military by means of assisting with technological advancement. This of course extends to research patents, experimental constructs, and staff employed by Gemtech." The confused expression on the General's face was only slightly overshadowing the anger he came in with. Without waiting for a response, Peridot shuffled over, tapping on the holopad's keyboard as a familiar face appeared on the main panel with the Gemtech insignia planted firmly beside the staff's name; four lozenge shaped diamonds arranged to resemble a much larger one with four color variants.

"Doctor Polendina is Gemtech staff." Emerald commented, a sense of thrill was etched in her tone as she longed to see the changing emotions displayed on the General's face as the gears were clicking into place. "The good doctor is on loan to the military, however, per our contract; he and all his inventions are property of Gemtech. That includes his latest creation." The gem turned fully to face the General, swirling her glass gently as the General red through the panels.

"This…" He muttered something akin to a growl of frustration and anger. "…is a severe overreach. I was not made aware of these outlines, and regardless of their validity; I'm sure you must know the punishment for civilian interference with military deployments?"

Emerald allowed a soft chortle to escape her lips as she held a palm over her mouth. "Assuming I cared enough to know the reasoning, pray tell; why would Atlas deploy such a weapon in Vale? Is there something you're not sharing General. If there is, the council will be uneasy having their weapons being handled by such an eager trigger finger. Or would you rather chancing a little whisper towards the press over this? Still, I would imagine you have a very good reason for deploying a fine weapon to a foreign kingdom's soil."

Her teasing had hit its mark, the man looked positively livid, and she relished in it.

"That is none of your concern." He stated sternly.

"True." Though, her response was a bit off-putting as it caught the man off guard. "And I honestly don't care for the reason, I just don't appreciate my property being taken and put on display without my express permission." Emerald softly placed her glass down, the simple act was enough to trigger a small ounce of fear in the Peridot, to which only the white-haired second hand noticed. "Make no mistake, General, I have not, nor will I ever, indulge in the idiosyncrasies of social hierarchies like the Schnees…however." The woman's glare hardened with narrowed eyes aimed directly at the Genral. There was a sense of fear and uneasiness the man felt just being under her gaze, but to be staring directly into her seemingly empty and cold eyes; it felt as if he were being marked for death. "…engrave this into that thick skull of yours, if it helps stay your hand the next time you feel the urge to pester me; the military, its soldiers, and the arsenal we have provided is yours…but the Android is mine." She growled out, earning a small shiver from the General, though, he kept as good a stoic appearance as he could. "And you will find the law, as well as the council, on my side." She chose this opportunity to take her glass once more, sipping the rest of her wine before waltzing over to her window.

"And what purpose would you have to recall Penny from her deployment?" The General was understandably irritated that a weapon of the android's caliber was not under his control, but under the ownership of this child. Yes, given what he saw, and with no evidence to counter his assumption; Ironwood viewed this green-haired youth as such, a child. And yet, if he did bring this to the council, or if he took action and reclaimed the android; what would the response be?

Assuming he took the girl back, no doubt the papers would be itching to uncover what Gemtech and Atlas' military were budding heads over. And if someone poked their heads in the slightest crack, they might just uncover the android. So far, to what little credit he begrudgingly gave the woman, she was discreet with her actions, taking Penny with such hushed efficiency it unnerved the General.

"That is classified." She replied, only serving to further infuriate Ironwood, to the point that he felt the need to take this woman to a holding cell for actually believing herself and her actions above the military's. "If you have further questions, seek the council and pester them. We are finished." She waved to Peridot, the small woman walking over to lead the General out, however, the man was not so inclined to leave just yet, not empty handed.

"If you think we're done then you're-"

"That will be all." Emerald remarked, clapping her hands twice as hidden doors from opposite sides of the room opened, revealing a set of androids, coated in deep forest green paint and black visors. These were customized Atlesian Knights-200, their movements were muted, only the thumping of their footsteps were near inaudible, it would make for excellent stealth operatives. However, from what Ironwood knew; they were produced by the ever looming company Gemtech, one that was now serving to be a hindrance to the General. And as he stared at the company' logo etched unto their chests, and the similar emblem on the shipping crates and bullheads that carried their arsenal; the bulk of the Military's stock had come from this place alone.

With a disgruntled glare, Ironwood made way to leave the facility as fast as he could before his anger got to him.

It didn't take long for the doors to close once more, they weren't even closed right given they could hear the hardened jabs at the elevator buttons. It took every bit of her self-control not to keep going further, though, as with most things, Emerald chose instead to leave it be and simply throw in a set of jabs when she felt like it.

However, given that the pompous eye-sore was finally gone, the commanding Gem focused now on the technician standing just a few feet away.

"What did you find?"

Peridot, after assuring the General and his second were gone, removed the article of human clothing from her eye, allowing all to bear witness to her gem. "From what I was able to discern from the video footage taken, and there wasn't much to work with mind you; the Lazuli and Moonstone flew in the direction of four possible villages. I've already sent out drones to eye the surrounding area. Nothing too extensive and each deployment has remained hidden from prying eyes thus far. Agate's VTOL is still on route to Penny's location in Vale, estimated time of arrival is half a cycle."

There was an inclining to question the Peridot's address of the android by the name given to it by Polendina, though, given the amount of time both the Peridot and the human spent with the development of the weapon, it must've just stuck. It was a lot less unsettling than actually believing the Peridot to have grown attached to the machine. There was a fine difference between Gems and the android, regardless of whatever the small pebble believed.

"Honestly though, Penny is more than capable of combing the area and retrieving the renegade Lazuli, the Agate would only serve to be a hindrance." Her attitude had grown brazen in their time on this planet, much to the ever growing disdain of Emerald. Her urge to shatter, or even crack the smug greenette's gem was often clouding her judgement. Still, she did her job well, which served to keep her close.

"I would rather be absolutely certain that a mission will be successful. Do try to remember; Agate has proven herself on the battlefield countless times over; your contraption has only had one moment. And may I point out that one moment your ditsy, air-headed android engaged in battle was against a rabble of uncoordinated, lackluster pawns that would be no more than a warmup for even an Amethyst." She saw how her words dug into the Peridot's ego, though; it seemed as though her criticism of the android was what triggered more of a reaction. "When Agate reaches the machine's location, have them on standby until you've located Moonstone."

And with that, she waved her arm, signaling the end of their conversation, and Peridot wasting no time in leaving. She was either going to release her frustration on some of the knights, or she was simply going to shout and scream at a wall until her anger had been spent. Either way, it was irrelevant; for soon Moonstone would be found, and with him, their goal is hastened. And once they were finally off his useless rock, they could finally put an end to this nightmare of a planet, once and for all.

* * *

**-Ansel-**

For Lazuli, nothing in life was going according to plan anymore. Her initial aim was to find Moonstone, take him back to Tiger's Eye, and make their way to Atlas to regroup with the other Gems. There, they'd get the access codes they needed, leave the planet, and return back to their homeworld, leaving Remnant to its own fate. Yet, it all went downhill the moment Moonstone claimed to have lost his memories. With those memories gone, there was little chance of getting off the planet as it was, but with five thousand years and nothing to help trigger a resurgence of his old life, it left the blue gem with lingering doubts over whether the others would have any way to help their leader revert to his old self.

And then there was Juni, her ex-lover from when she wandered Remnant not so long ago, when stories of a wandering Warrior in shinning white armor started surfacing again. Rather than move on and pursue after not finding him in Ansel, Lazuli, for her own reasoning chose to stay in the small village for a time. Though, when everyone showed obvious signs of aging, and she didn't, the Gem knew of the questions that would arise from her seemingly eternal youthful appearance. And so, she booked it.

Now, she was paying the price for leaving so suddenly, in the form of having to sit on a couch, next to her leader, in the house of the large family, with little to no window of opportunity for escaping. And while the two were alone, it didn't remove the uncertainty that some blonde will peak around a corner if they so much as twitch.

Why are they in this predicament you may ask; her leader had garnered the interest of the blonde matriarch. It was something that infuriated her since they had the one opportunity to escape in the tavern amidst the moment their sudden attempts to leave stunned the blondes. However, for some odd reason, Moonstone was more inclined to stay put rather than escape. And while Lazuli was more than capable of making a clean getaway, the last thing she needed was Tiger's Eye coming down on her for leaving Moonstone after just finding him.

She could only shudder at how Emerald would react.

"Lazuli." She felt the need to ignore him, to just keep her eyes forward and await whatever would come from Juni. Though…

She hesitated, yet turned to him nonetheless.

"We wouldn't have escaped without having to shapeshift into something else, and aside from the hawk, I don't have other forms to fall back on. Also, our escape would've only attracted more unwanted eyes on us, seeing as the humans are actually looking for us." He noted, remembering the chatter and gossip over the human's reactions to the two saviors in Acre. "And this human knows you by name and what you look like. It would only serve to be our downfall if we acted brashly. Be patient, another opportunity will arise."

"Why do we have to act so weak though, I don't fear Juni or whatever threat she thinks she can pull on me." She muttered through faintly trembling teeth.

"Yes, I'm sure." His response earned him a mix of a pout and glare from Lazuli. "But it serves a purpose to act meek amongst them; it paints us as nothing more than average humans. If we were to put our full abilities on display…I imagine the humans will allow their fear to run its natural course. It's a cascade of events, anything and nothing is certain." His eyes landed on a black and white photograph hanging over the home's fireplace, gesturing it to the Lazuli.

When Ilia's eyes landed on it, she saw the old memory; a youthful Juni standing beside Lazuli and a scraggily boy with a mop of dark brown hair. Behind them was the same tavern they were in, though, it seemed as though the one in the photo was not surrounded by buildings.

"For someone who belittles humans, I never expected you to have made an alias to allow yourself to live amongst them." He noted, eyeing the Gem as she stared aimlessly at the photograph hanging on the wall.

Ilia remained silent for the most part, her mind currently reliving all the memories she had of Ansel…but, unlike before; her memories peered further back, forcing her to remember all her past names, former lovers, a majority of them were long gone, taken by time.

"It's a fleeting feeling." She muttered; a sense of bitter resentment and envy latched onto her tone. "These humans, their lives serve no purpose; they go about their short existence struggling to find their place. Many never find it, others give up halfway. Those that do eventually grow to loath where they end up. Not us; we all serve a specific purpose; both you and I were created with a duty and goal in mind…the moments I spent with the humans only served to remind me; a life amongst them is a fleeting one, and it's rarely ever worth it." There was more to her words than she let on, though, Moonstone chose not to ask. Or rather, there was one thing that bugged him since the two met.

When Lazuli found him, she gave off the impression that she knew him previously; as if the two were either close, or whatever purpose they served, the two did so as partners. Then, that single thought raised quite a set of questions regarding her attitude. Before she was aware of his lack of memories; she seemed almost relieved at that. Not to mention, her acting as though she despised her time around organics felt forced…well, partially. Though, the way she spoke of her time here; it sounded so genuine, as if she truly did have good memories here.

Also, the way she described their existence; they were made for a specific purpose. He could only imagine such a system would not allow the kind of freedoms Lazuli had amongst the organics. There was something new about his life that plagued his thoughts now; and it left him with a burning desire to know more.

This was about his home after all, and he truly wished he could remember what he was before he awoke thousands of years ago. What sort of purpose did he have back then? Was killing these infections truly all he was created for, or was there something more?

"I've been meaning to ask…" His change in tone caught Lazuli off guard, as she noticed a hint of meekness in such a stoic expression. "….did we know each other?"

…

There was a pregnant silence that followed, made even more awkward when Ilia had to keep herself from bursting into a giggling fit. In truth, given what she knew about this gem prior, and how he acted now, she couldn't help but be reminded of the first moment the two met. It was…less than pleasant, and it would've led to a rather fatal consequence had there not been a single voice to vouch for her.

After managing to calm herself, Ilia allowed her head to fall back against the couch. Though, without warning, she swung her body to the side, laying her head on Moonstone's lap and receiving a less than amused glare from the gem. She ignored it, preferring to recount her little tale from where she lay.

"Well…lemme tell you a story…"

* * *

**Homeworld, 6000 years prior**

Bland. For all the luxuries and relaxation many 'upper crust' gems were granted, there was an air of consistency that resonated with all lives beneath the homeworld banner. There was rarely ever change, something so out of place was a scarcity on homeworld; just how the diamonds wanted it. And yet, there were always those who yearned for more, Gems who sought more than just their assigned duties.

Those were instantly shattered upon discovery, which is why that form of thinking was best kept to oneself. Or, at least, amongst Gems you can trust. Though, many Gems, and in particular, the royal class; trust was a lacking trait in many. Which made it a prized commodity when found, and a treasure with no form of price.

And to few Lazulis, trust was the best they could give one another.

For within the halls of Blue Diamond's court, specialized structures were created to house Gems of the blue matriarch's court. One such, a building was lacking in Lazulis at the moment, the bulk of their veins being assigned to terraforming assignments on newly discovered and/or conquered worlds. Those that were within said structure kept mostly to themselves, the upper crust Gems never really finding any use in conversing outside of the presence of their beloved diamond aside from playing the part of a united empire.

And in the case of one particular Lazuli, there was never exactly a pleasant conversation she could have with another Gem, seeing as the ones who even approached her were her superiors coming to berate her on a recent assignment she had failed spectacularly. The reason she was not shattered was due to the rarity in which Lazulis would emerge without a hint of defect. Their numbers, the ones who were labeled fit for duty, were spread thin as it was, with very few remaining on their homeworld awaiting orders. The point being, she was valuable; her gem was flawless, her abilities above the average terraformer, and she worked spectacularly well on her own…with others, however…

Granted, being the closest thing to royalty meant much more lenient sentencing, and an occasional overlook of mistakes.

For Ilia, this came in light of a recent lashing out that resulted in the Agate she had poofed unleashing a myriad of non-so-elegant words to describe the terraforming Gem. And with it, as well, came multiple pleas to shatter the Lazuli for her insubordination.

With the eyes of her court on her, the Lazuli went into isolation, preferring to be away from the judgmental eyes of her fellow court. Sitting on a hidden ledge outside of a recreation hall for Gems to lounge around in. This particular hall was mostly empty, which worked out for the blue Gem.

"Hey." Or so she had hoped. With a disgruntled glare, The Lazuli's head rose up, meeting the gaze of a fellow Lazuli.

"I'm really not in the mood, B.0.B."

The pony-tailed Lazuli muttered, her head snapped back to the view of her planet before her; the perfectly built, symmetrically aligned infrastructure that made their homeworld perfect. She had brought her knees up to her head as she fixed her eyes sternly forward.

There was a chortle mixed in with the wavy-haired Lazuli's laugh, she took a spot on the ledge next to the troubled Gem as she too gazed out at their home.

"You're never in the mood for anything, 1.L.A." She responded, her legs swinging lightly over the ledge.

What followed was a prolonged silence that, save for the sounds of a few warships above their heads, increased the awkward tension between them.

"So…" B.0.B started, a coy smile etched itself on her lips as she leaned over to the downtrodden Lazuli. "Three injectors, your Lazuli partner, and the leading Agate in charge? That's a new record, even for you." She counted off, teasing her fellow Lazuli as a dark blue blush lit up her cheeks.

"Remind me why you're here again?" 1.L.A muttered, feeling the sudden urge to simply fly away.

In response, B.0.B gazed up at the stars, a faint smile still planted on her lips. "The injectors were repaired pretty quickly, so the colony is still going. The Lazuli they partnered you up with also has a history of not getting along with others…" She meant that as a full jab at her companion, receiving a playful nudge from the slightly smirking 1.L.A. "And the Agate that requested your shattering is far beneath us; if anything _she_ will be the one shattered for not keeping the Gems under her charge in line. So, you know; no need to worry about all of this."

So that's what she was here for.

1.L.A smirked just a little wider, sparing her friend a small gaze before turning her eyes back to the stars above them. "I know all of that; it's not why I'm here."

"Then what is?" B.0.B had gotten a little closer, placing a reassuring hand on her fellow Lazuli's shoulder as the impulsive Gem reluctantly spat out what was on her mind.

"I was summoned by my diamond." She replied in a solemn tone, her eyes twitched, signs of tears building up at the corner of her eyes indicated the intense interrogation, followed by whatever her diamond deemed a fitting punishment resonated in this Gem. "She told me; one more incident and I'll be labeled a defect." 1.L.A muttered that last bit, burying her head into her knees as B.0.B wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as the information settled.

Rather than continue speaking, the two Gems sat quietly together, their heads nudged softly against one another as the sounds of ships passed, and the silence of homeworld prevailed. Everyone knew the circumstances of being seen as useless in the eyes of the diamonds. What made the ordeal far worse than a mere demotion; was being labeled a defect long into your service. It meant 1.L.A was on probation; one more incident, and her gem would be nothing more than fragments beneath the palms of whatever Gem sent to do the deed. And so, to comfort her friend, B.0.B allowed the fellow Lazuli a shoulder to release her pent up frustration, something 1.L.A had done for her a many few times in the past.

Or rather, that should've been the case had the sudden appearance of another Lazuli from the within caught their attention. She searched the ledges frantically before her eyes landed on the two next to her.  
"There you are!" Her words were mainly for B.0.B, from the look of her frantic state, it appeared as though she had been searching for this particular Lazuli. "We've been summoned to the main hall, hurry; it's an opportunity of a lifetime." The Lazuli was practically beaming, though; it took a complete 180 when her eyes fixed themselves on 1.L.A. "You should stay; only useful Lazulis are needed for this." She snarled at the pony-tailed gem; embarrassed to be in any way associated with the 'black sheep' of their vein.

"What's going on?" B.0.B asked, her fists clenched in readiness to clock the Gem in front of her for the words she'd spoken.

The Lazuli's face lit up once more, her own eyes brimming with excitement. "A new colony is being established, and the scouting party is being sent out today. Word around the quartz circles is that a certain azul diamond has tasked a very prominent Moonstone with leading the scouting team. Every spot is accounted for save for one Gem; a Lazuli."

Now, given a moment to breakdown the words this over enthusiastic Gem had sputtered out, the bigger takeaways were the following; new colony and prominent Moonstone. The first was a chance at redemption, to prove herself a cut worthy of her name and title. Not to mention, many terraforming jobs often led to recognition of the Lazuli's work at reshaping the surface resulted in rich nutrients for extraordinary Gems. And the last…

Moonstone, a type of Gem more commonly associated with a Pearl's function; though, with more liberties and being higher on the class system. Yet, aside from being viewed as ornaments, there were remnants of a bygone era of Gems, ones created in a desperate hour of need; the first defenders of homeworld and the foundations from which the empire stood today; the Expansion Era Gems. One could find many amongst their ranks, from Rubies to Aquamarines, Rhodonites to Jaspers; each Gem, save for the Pearls, created during that particular era was made for the battlefield, back when homeworld's resources were much more abundant.

Though, from that once proud chapter of homeworld's history few of those Gems survived the onslaught, fewer could be classified as 'functionally sane'. The bigger target of interest was The Moonstone; one of the more recognizable veterans from the Expansion Era wars. The Gem that just never seemed to be able to die. The Gem very few have ever actually seen.

The stories surrounding this particular gem were ones of both fascination, and envy.

It took 1.L.A a moment to ponder that thought before she realized the other Lazuli had pulled B.0.B into the building. Leaving the shamed Gem alone, which in itself wasn't new. And yet, knowing such an honored piece of their history, one of the few members of any court to have been created outside of their original purpose; it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet one. Meanwhile, she was sure to be turned away by whatever guards posted, the Holly Blue in charge of this building would make sure of it.

This kind of buzz was reserved for high ranking Gems, especially those that were tasked with assembling their own crew. Often, the assigning of tasks was left to the diamonds, or some other high ranking strategist. On this scenario, however, it appeared as though their diamond allowed the Moonstone a hand-picked crew.

Whatever Lazuli chosen, regardless of mission importance, if ever selected personally by a high ranking Gem; had the opportunity to rise well above their station. And quite often, gain connections to Gems in higher places. It was a sure fire way to raise oneself within their court, and even more so; to gain favoritism from their diamond for yielding such success.

With a single affirming nod, 1.L.A nodded to herself, and jumped right back into the building. Agates be damned, chosen or not; she was going to meet this Moonstone. Though, in her prideful stride, feeling ever confident in her boost of courage, the Gem failed to see a Gem approaching from outside the room. The sudden tumble to the ground, while the other who bumped into her remained unaffected ignited a small spark of fury within 1.L.A, a temper one did not expect from a Lazuli, and yet was actually more common than one would think.

With a snarl, a pair of wings sprouted from her back as she rose to eye-level with the Gem that bumped into her, though, she could not see past the hood that shrouded this one's identity. It was a big Gem, a warrior class of some kind, possibly one that rose through ranks on their merits.

Still, the more time she stayed to ponder who this was, was time lost in meeting one of the fabled heroes of homeworld.

"Watch it, clod!" She snarled at the unknown, fully convinced it was nothing more than a low class Gem. She flew away without a second thought, missing the emergence of a Pearl from behind the hooded Gem.

The level of shock and disbelief on her face was rather priceless, given her usual attitude. "The nerve of that Lazuli. Are you hurt, Moon?"

Moonstone said nothing; rather, there really wasn't much to say. A simple yes would've sufficed. However, for whatever reason, the abrasiveness of the Lazuli just now kept the Moonstone's attention focused on the brash blue Gem, inciting the curiosity and interest of the veteran.

_'Hmm, I wonder…'_

* * *

**AN: Ok, so this is one of few flashbacks to give more of a sense as to the history between Moonstone and his old crew. The flashback will continue on the next page, but soon after, we will shall catch up with team RWBY and NPR, and believe me lovely readers, there will be plenty more surprises in the coming chapters. I don't have much else to say except; thanks for reading, and i hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.**

**Gems thus far; **

**Moonstone; Jaune**

**Lapis Lazuli (1.L.A); Ilia **

**Lapis Lazuli (B.0.B): ;)**

**Emerald; …Emerald**

**Peridot; (N/A)**

**Tiger's Eye; (I think you all can guess who this is)**


End file.
